Chinese and Indian Philosophy NOTES

Hinduism (800 BCE):
Hinduism is a result of Aryan religion combined with local ideas of native Indus Valley peoples. There are many gods in Hinduism (and yet one god). People are believed to be inherently good, and sin is seen as a force on the outside (not a flaw of the human character). Originally an oral tradition, the hymns of the warrior culture were eventually written and are the sacred texts, the VEDAS, of which there are four:
Rig Veda – hymns and devotional incantations
Yajur Veda – Sacrificial rituals
Sama Veda – focused on Indra, the main god (war and thunder)
Atharya Veda – Prayer hymns rituals of love, health, etc.
Also a sacred text, is the Upanishads (found at the end of the four Vedas) which consists of more than 200 books written over 200 years. It explains that we have spirits and souls and that the soul can migrate into other beings. It discusses rebirth, and that one’s station is dependent upon how well one did in his/her former life. It claims that “god” can also be found within a person and that self awareness (controlling physical lusts) leads to enlightenment.

Buddhism (600 BCE):
The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama. He rejected the Hindu gods, their animal sacrifices, dependence upon gods and dismissed the caste system based on bloodlines. Buddha means “The Awakened One.” Buddhism focuses on self responsibility while breaking the cycle of rebirths.
There are four truths in Buddhism:
1. Life is painful.
2. Selfish desire is the origin of pain and suffering.
3. Craving, the origin of suffering, can be eliminated.
4. The Eightfold Middle Path leads to extinction of suffering.
In Buddhism, knowing these truths and behaving without guile (language, actions, sexual relations, violence, livelihood) toward any one or anything is the start of the path (Eightfold) toward Nirvana (extinction of individuality and the end of rebirths).
There are five main rules in Buddhism:
1. Understand that change is the only constant (contrary to Hinduism)
2. Proper Attitude – do not expect the impossible, just accept the inevitable (show self control over one’s appetites)
3. Proper Speech – One’s words precede one’s actions
4. Proper Action – Avoidance of lustful acts
5. Do not injure other living things (drink, sex, lies, etc.)

Taoism (600 BCE):
Lao Tzu was born an old man, after his mother was pregnant for 62 years. His name means “Old Boy.” As an adult, Lao Tzu was a politician in the Chou dynasty. After years of service he became disillusioned with government and rejected it entirely (wrote the Tao Te Ching). Thus Taoism takes on a non-structured shape, a more intuitive approach of life.
An important part of Taoism is the Yin-yang.
The Yin is feminine, dark, cold, weak, negative, sluggish, wet, earth, moon and north. The Yang is masculine, light, heat, strong, positive, aggressive, dry, sky, heaven and sun. Rather than thinking of them as opposites, a more accurate conception would be like viewing the Yin-yang as two inseparable ends of the same stick. Their interaction, flux and flow, their very balance is what creates the Way or the universe.
The central idea behind Taoism is the concept of “The Way.” The Way is the force or pulse of the universe. It is the natural order of all things. One cannot force him or herself to find the way, rather submission to the natural order will in itself, bring one to the Way. If people live in harmony with the Wu-Wei (the Way), then happiness, peace and wisdom will result. The Wu-Wei is literally, non-action. There must be balance in all things because nothing can really be forced. Resisting the way only makes the process harder for the person experiencing it. “Force defeats itself.” For example, a leader who is not too strong will find success, and the more laws there are, the more thieves there will be. The critical thing is to be an “uncarved block.” That is to be unaffected by the deviation of the Way by others. - And to be able to sense the Way for yourself, without acting for it.
This is a rejection of society to some extent and a return to nature. Adherence to these relationships comes from sensing one’s “Way,” but it is critical to understand this is not an individualistic approach. The key to Taoism is living in harmony with the ethics and order of the universe. Taoism is unstructured and intuition based but means one is open to new directions.

Confucianism (600 BCE):
Confucius was a historian and an educator. He was deemed the “champion of Chinese culture” by ‘heaven.’ Confucius developed the idea of the “Superior Man” which is a true gentleman, meaning one is not petty, mean or vulgar. The true gentleman has inner virtue and exterior composure. In Confucianism, virtue consists of five attributes:
1. Integrity
2. Righteousness
3. Conscientiousness to others/loyalty
4. Altruism/reciprocity
5. Benevolence

While Confucius recognized a sort of “heaven,” the most important component of Confucianism is proper behavior. For example, there are five social relationships in Confucianism:

Behavior Role Role Behavior

Benevolent Master Servant Loyal
Loving Father Son Reverential and obedient
Good Husband Wife Attentive
Gentle Elder Younger Respectful
Considerate Older Friend Younger Friend Deferential

One must have proper behavior and order in all actions as we are all connected through our relations. (And one must respect those who are older.) This is the Way to attain the level of a “Superior Man.” Confucianism ultimately seeks structure, order and conformity.

Legalism (300 BCE):
Han Feizi was the main scholar behind Chinese Legalism. Legalism valued human beings as inherently evil, and thus in need of strong government. The law was to be indisputable. By appointing strong, authoritarian leaders to uphold the law, the law is preserved. Further, it is the duty of the state to expand and to impose its laws on all of its subjects. By giving citizens rewards for their obedience, it maintains the state and structural integrity of the nation. Independent thought, actions or contrary groups are not tolerated as they jeopardize the higher good of the state. It is actually the “duty” of the government to breed insecurity and interdependence among the population. Fundamentally, men are not to be trusted, thus “measures” can be put in place (no matter how stringent) to ensure the success of the state.


VOCABULARY

Huanghe or Yellow River basin – Location of first Chinese civilization around 1500BCE
Shang – First Chinese dynasty
Vedas – Aryans hymns written in sacred books
Yu – mythical king that developed flood control for the Huanghe River
Xia – first (not documented) kingdom, ruled by Yu
Feudalism – social structure which exchanged land for oaths of allegiance- Shang dynasty
Qin – dynasty (221 – 207 BCE) founded at the end of the Warring States period
Shi Huangdi – founder of Qin dynasty, first emperor of China
Mencius – major follower of Confucius, believed humans were good/governments need consent of people
Xunzi – follower of Confucius – believed people to be lazy/need authoritarian government
Laozi – Chinese Taoist philosopher – believed in retreating into nature.
Great Wall – Chinese defensive built against northern nomadic invaders
Sunzi – author of The Art of War, argued war was part of the state and should be approached scientifically
Forbidden city – imperial precinct in Chinese capitals, only royal family and household allowed inside.
Rama – major figure in the Indian epic Ramayana -
Dharma – caste position determined by one’s birth.
Transmigration – belief in reincarnation into other bodies
Upanishads – Indian sacred writings (end of the Vedas)