Instructions: Answer the questions using the PDF document, Confucianism: Government and the Superior. Your answers should be written as a short essay. Do not simply answer each question. You will post your answers in the comment box. I highly recommend that you draft your answer in a Google document and then copy and paste your answer into the comment box. After you have posted your essay in the comments, respond to two classmates posts.
Summarize the Confucian’ idea of an ideal government.
What should be the major qualities of a superior man, according to Confucius?
Why does Confucius consider propriety important for individuals and for family, as well as for the state?
From this document, what can be seen as the major themes in Confucianism?
- Why was the Warring States period so important for the development of Confucianism?
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ReplyDeleteConfucianism is an important guideline that shows how to be a good leader, treat people right, and to be the best man you can be. In the eyes of Confucius, a superior man is one with great virtue and self-control. “He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven… of great men… [and] of the words of sages (Confucianism).” He also states that a superior man always acts virtuous, no matter what. He can’t, because if he does at any time, he has not filled the requirements of a superior man. A superior man is not always the one with great riches or honors, because they only have them when they could rightfully be achieved. Confucius also believed that “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart (Confucianism).” This shows that really, its what a man chooses to do that makes him a superior man. A superior man has an advanced sense of propriety. Propriety makes all actions more clear, as in “straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness (Confucianism).” Confucius’ main ideas on leadership are that you lead by example. It promotes kindness, respectfulness and also propriety. “To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct (Confucianism)?” With a healthy relationship with the people, the leader will surely succeed. All of this can be remembered and found because during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) the followers of Confucianism thought to write down all of the works for future generations.
ReplyDeleteWIth your explanation of what Confucius considers makes a superior man. I had almost the same answer word for word. I agree with your explanation of why the warring states period added in the development of Confucianism, but you could have added more and put the part it talked about in the article when it said said Confucianism was adopted during their dark time (warring states period) because they needed something to go by, or needed guidance.
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DeleteI strongly agree with that Confucianism is important guideline to show how to be a good leader, treating people right, and to be the best man you can be. I say this because in “Confucianism: Government and the Superior” it said, “The Master said, "When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service,” (1). With this quote, it shows how Confucianism is an important guideline to be a good leader and treating people right.
DeleteI strongly agree with your statement about how Confucianism is an important guideline for any leader, and how being a superior man will get you far in life. You could have added a few more details in how the Warring States affected the development of Confucianism after the death of Confucius. “After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475221 B.C.E.). Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments. These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come. Confucius's ideas on good government and proper relationships in the society are clearly reflected in the following arguments.”(1). It was well detailed besides that one part though. All in all, it was a good explanation overall of how Confucianism is a good outline for government today.
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DeleteI agree with you when you talk about Confucius' idea of a superior man and an ideal government. However, I have to also agree with Timothy and Elijah in saying that you didn't include enough about the Warring States period. That time of political instability allowed for the spread of Confucianism throughout China. "These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come."
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ReplyDelete[Re-uploaded for format.]
DeleteThe Confucian idea of the ideal government means focusing on the people who wish to serve while casting aside those who are willfully ignorant. "Confucius replied, 'Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit.'" The reformation of criminals would take a lot of resources while the honest are standing there wondering why they are not noticed for their deeds. Humans strive when competition is concerned. People should be rewarded for their positive actions. Then, the broken, lying wasted, would look up and see, ¨Hey, I want that too,” and start actually working for it, becoming a ¨superior man¨.
The major qualities of a superior man is the wonderment of spirituality and awesomeness. ¨Confucius said, 'There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.'¨ Have respect for the gods, their creation, and messengers. Those who demonstrate propriety, that is.
Propriety is important because, as ¨The Master said, 'Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.'" Without propriety, civilization would find itself in a miserable, disorderly state.
¨After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475221 B.C.E.). Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments. These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come.¨
It is service and support which are the major themes of Confucianism. Have filial piety for not just your parents, but for all. Learning and loyalty will follow, creating a union with enough patience. The government shall serve the servants, and the proletariat shall support the supporter.
I really enjoyed your description of The the Confucian idea of the ideal government and completely agree with you when you said that Propriety is important because without it, "civilization would find itself in a miserable, disorderly state." Without Propriety, anything good becomes something bad. I also agree with your view on the major themes, because Confucian does mention, or refers to having filial piety for all. Fantastic Job!
DeleteConfucius was a man who was a firm believer in virtue many of his teachings taught the importance of virtue and obeying your parents.Confucius’s idea of an ideal government is that the people will not be led by laws they will be led by their virtues so that if they do something wrong they will feel bad about what they have done, and eventually become a good citizen. Confucius said that if a leader “advance[s] the crooked and set[s] aside the upright, then the people will not submit.” meaning that if you praise immoral and unlawful acts and ignore the righteous and just people then no one will obey the leader. Confucius’s idea of an ideal government is one of a just leader who helps his people and praises the just and virtuous acts of the people. One quality of a superior man that Confucius gave is that a superior man acts before speaking and then speaks according to his actions. He also said that “If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness” meaning that you act on your morals and do what you think is right. Another quality of a superior man is that he never deviates from being virtuous. Confucius considers propriety important for individuals and families because without it anything that can be seen as good or worthy is thrown out the window and just becomes something bad, like Confucius’s example “Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety becomes laborious bustle” showing that propriety makes something boring become humble. The major themes of confucianism are filial piety(obeying your parents), a leader who rules by virtue, and helps his people, and men who act on their virtues. The Warring States period was helpful for the development of Confucianism because Confucius did not leave any written documents so when Confucius died there was nothing to help guide his followers, his disciples decided to write down his teaching in a collection allowing Confucius to influence people even after he died.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Confucius was a firm believer in virtue. Confucius talked about virtue time after time in almost everything. I also liked how you explained how important propriety is, "because without it anything that can be seen as good or worthy is thrown out the window and just becomes something bad". As for the themes I strongly agree that one of the main themes was about men who act on their virtues. Virtues was just really important to Confucius. My only problem with this is that you didn't cite your quotes. You forgot to put parenthetical citations. Other than that good job!
DeleteI agree with everything that you mentioned! Confucius did strongly believe in virtue. Most of his teachings were about it after all. I do have one disagreement though. You mentioned that The Warring States period was helpful because Confucius didn't leave any written documents. Was that really helpful? However, you were right that his teachings passed on even after death. Great job Isaiah!
DeleteThe Confucian’ idea of an ideal government is the when the leader cannot correct his own conduct, how can we trust him to rectify others (2). He also says that if people are lead by high moral standards or high virtue, and uniformity sought to be given by the compliance with standards and morals, then eventually they’ll sense of shame and become good (2). “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn toward it” (2). What he means by this is that if the leader governs with high moral standards then people will look up to them, leading by example. Confucius also said that the major qualities of a superior man are virtue. He acts before he speaks, and afterward speaks according to his actions. Also,by studying and learning, he keeps himself under the rules of propriety. Unlike the mean man who doesn’t live under the ethical code of propriety (2). Confucius finds propriety essential for individuals and for family, as well as for the state because if individuals constantly keep themselves under the restraint of the rules of propriety or their ethical code of conduct, then one may thus not err from what is right. Furthermore, confucius said that “the mind of superior man is conversant of righteousness; [unlike] the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain.”(2) Furthermore, the major themes of Confucianism are to have ethical propriety. To treat people with propriety whether they’re alive, if dead then buried according to propriety, and they should be sacrificed according to propriety. Nevertheless, staying a superior man whose mind is filled with righteousness and virtue. Furthermore, the Warring States were important for the development of Confucianism because after China sank into the warring states, confucius didn’t leave any written works. His ideas based on the principle of proper relationships, virtue, and propriety showed that the relationships between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife. elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend. Only by fixing these relationships could China regain peace and order.” (1)
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with the part when you talk about Confucian’ idea of being punished through shame. That is almost exactly what I answered. I also agree with the part about the superior man when you say that Confucius believed that a man was superior when he lived by virtue, but the article did also talk about how Confucius believed that a superior man would stand in awe at Heaven, other great men, and the words of sages.
DeleteI agree with you when you said that "...the major themes of Confucianism are to have ethical propriety, and they should be sacrificed according to propriety. To treat people with propriety whether they're alive, if dead then buried..." The reason I agree with you is because I also believed that Confucius' major theme was peace, and this just goes straight into it. Like Elijah, I also liked the part where you wrote about Confucius' thoughts on the superior man and how you quoted from the article.
DeleteThe Confucian’ idea of a government is to have a great leader who can not demolish the bad in that civilization (2). He can not conduct the right and the wrong. The people do not have laws or rules, for if they did, they would break the law and somehow avoid the punishment.
ReplyDeleteA superior man should stand in awe of the ordinance of Heaven, awe of great men, and awe of the words of sages, according to Confucius (2). The man is righteous and acts before he speaks (2). The superior man must stick to the virtue or he will be the mean man and not superior. Confucius considers propriety important because if people do not live their life this way they are timid, rudeness, and laborious bustle (1). By going along with propriety the people get along better and ae move civil. They are bold, careful, and straightforward. Propriety gives them a sense of respect to one another which keeps the civilization together as one. This also makes it easier on the leader because the leader does not conduct the right for people so they conduct their own right. Confucianism is an open way of live. Although, they may have a lot of standards, the people have a lot of freedom. They abide by all of the standards but the standards just make them better citizens. Even though they have a leader, they were more independent than anything. Propriety is huge in Confucianism. The people are expected to abide by this but this only makes them better people. The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because when China’s social foundation fell, Confucianism was there to “back it up.” By having Confucianism, China regained their relationships that brought the civilization back together.
I strongly agree with what you said about the superior man and what he is supposed to live by. By acting with propriety and virtue he will achieve his goals and gain riches and honors the right way unlike the mean man who will gain those things the wrong way. I also agree with your statements about how the people will act by following the rules of propriety. They should all learn and get along well from/with one another. They are straight to the point so there would be no kind of misunderstanding within the civilization.
DeleteI agree with you on the topic of why the warring sates were some important to the development of Confucianism because it stated in the document, "social instability" was a problem of China's, and through this issue Confucius was able to create his theory that would bring China back to the socially stable. Soon after this china was able to regain relationships and such, becoming a strong civilization once again. Even after he past he was able to keep his theory going by having his words recorded in Analects.
DeleteI strongly agree with the majority of your argument although when you state at the very end that confucianism was like a "back up" when the article states that "Confucianism would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come." The article never stated that China's social foundation fell.
DeleteConfucius was the founding father of Confucianism which is the ideal system that was adopted by China, and is there primary beliefs. The Confucian ideal of government is that he believes that when someone does something wrong, instead of being physically punished, because that just makes them fear the punishment. Make them shameful and have the same make them want to good. Confucius believed that to be a superior man you had to have certain qualities. He should stand in awe at heaven, other great men, and words of sages. He should also act before he speaks, and speak according to his actions. Confucius considers proprioty important for individuals, and families because he believes that without proprioty good things become not so good things, like respectfulness becomes laborious bustle. The major theme of this document is that through confucianism a person can achieve happiness, and avoid shame. The warring states period was important for the development of confucianism because, that is when it was written down by his disciples, and his ideals took China out of a dark time.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with what you said about superior men having to stand in awe of heaven, great men, and the words of sages. I also agree with what you said about the Warring States because they really were dark times. The only thing i would've done to make your summary better is to add more background information like superior men can never act against virtue or that an ideal government should be quick to follow the laws.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree with what you said about the Confucian way of government, although your information could've gone into more depth about what Confucius considers a superior man to be. I feel that the way you provided information on the article was all over the place, your last sentence could have gone at the beginning instead of the end where it just feels out of place, but overall your summary of Confucian ideals was great.
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DeleteYour arguments match mine completely. I liked how you went deeper on why Confucius didn't believe in punishment to say that it just makes them fear the punishment. The only change I would have made in your response would be to use citations from the text. Most of your information came from the text, but I wouldn't know that if I hadn't read it. Still, you had all of the key ideas, and it was well written, so you made up for that small thing.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said and at times I actually almost said the exact same thing you said. I agree with what you said about how a superior man have to be respectful of great men and must stand in awe of what the words of the sages are. I also agree with what you said about the ideal government because if you do act respectfully they will in turn act respectfully.
DeleteI agree with your interpretation on what Confucius's idea of the ideal government, because when his disciples asked he would tell him the people led by laws and uniformity would try to avoid punishment.He also would state that "Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; - then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous." (doc 1.) He would also later compare him self to the north polar star if he would rule in virtue.
DeleteI disagree with the major themes of Confucianism that you listed because I feel that they go hand in hand. Living by virtue means doing what is morally right and you can’t do that without propriety. According to the text, “without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness”. Rudeness does not demonstrate living by virtue therefore you cannot have one without the other and those concepts are linked into one.
DeleteYou may have misunderstood what I meant, I stated that both propriety and virtue are themes of Confucianism, I understand that they both go hand in hand and that's why I put both of them as themes of Confucianism.
DeleteConfucius says that an ideal government should: respect the rules of propriety, should be quick to serve the laws and sought to give punishment to those who do wrong but will try to avoid punishment. A government should be led by virtue, they must be faithful to itself and others, and must be able to rectify itself and rectify its people. For an ideal government you have to “advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit.” Confucius says qualities of a superior man must be: standing in awe of heaven, in great men, and also the words of sages. A superior man must be righteous, and his mind must be set on virtue. A superior man does not act against virtue in any way, Confucius says “The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. The superior man acts before he speaks and afterwards speaks according to his actions. Confucius believes that propriety is important for family and state because, without propriety we would be timid, insubordinate, and rude.The major themes by Confucius are: filial piety, propriety, the ideals of good government, how a superior man should act, and the ideas of spirits.The Warring States were very important in the development of Confucianism because they were one of the worst times in Chinese history, so that's when Confucius started to study the way people acted towards themselves and each other. He never left any written works but his disciples recorded his enriched ideas by putting together a collection of his arguments and teachings.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you wrote about the superior man. I also spoke about being timid and rude. I also agree with how you wrote about propriety. Propriety is a big deal in this way of life. I like how you explained it and how you gave examples of what was said in the text. I also agree with what you said about the Warring States. You explained this history very well.
DeleteConfucians had an ideal government that would consist of two major points, unity and virtue. Uniformity lead by law, would help give harsh punishments to the wicked people, and once this law was set it would encourage people to avoid the punishments, and be without shame for avoiding such a thing. Since people would obey the law, government would be in control of the people, respect would be present between the rulers and peasants. If Were lead by virtue, they are able to have a sense of shame, with will direct them in the right way, morally. Not only the people but the rules who lead by virtue, will be kind to all, and the people they rule over will be more willing to follow them. Not only follow them but if they continue ruling in virtue they will but aside the crooked and advance the good, the people will be willing to submit.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Confucius, the superior man is lead by virtue. Since he is lead by this he can inhabit these next few key qualities. The superior man will be able to stand in ordinance of the heavens, not only can he do this but he shall be respectful to the heavens and their orders. He can also stand in awe of other great men around him, listening and understand what they have to say. He will act before he thinks, and only after he completes his actions, will he explain himself to others. Since he is lead by virtue he is able to properly gain his riches and honors, not allowing himself to stray from his righteousness.
Confucius states that propriety is important to the family as well as the state because without propriety people would be disrespectful. Once the people have become disrespectful it will cause the effect of disobedient and, rudeness. once this occurs all order will be lost and people will no longer be lead by their virtue.
Confucianism’s major themes are life lead by virtue, to uphold propriety, and uniformity. When life is lead by virtue then the people are willing to follow the ruling of the rulers, and able to become a superior man, among the mean man. Upholding propriety allows them to be kind and respectful to one another. With our propriety, no one will be able to live a life by virtue, only by rudeness and disrespect. Uniformity will promote punishments, and sense of shame. Once this is established then order will be upheld since they will stay in the path of obedience.
warring states were such an important part in Confucianism, since the social order was weak with formed Confucius theories. After Confucius pasted, the period sank in to even more warring states which allowed his disciples to transfer his lessons and thought, in to a book known as “Analects”. This allowed the Chinese government to instill the themes of Confucianism, of uniformity, propriety, and virtue.
I agree with what you said about what Confucianism's major themes are. Virtue and propriety are two of the most important ideas of Confucianism and were taken very seriously. If the people acted with propriety and virtue, then all would be respected and issues would not rise. I also agree with what you said about what the ideal government of Confucianism is. The main ideas of an ideal government for this civilization are unity and virtue, while working together and treating one another with respect, the civilization will interact in a good way and create unity among the people.
DeleteGreat way to elaborate and order your essay, I agree that virtue and properiety are key ideas to Confusianism, but what do you think creates virtue in a superior?
DeleteThat's a good question, I think that everyone is born with virtue. Some people just don't you it in the correct way, or don't listen to it like we should. Like Confucius started that if the ruler is lead by virtue that will encourage people to stay on the correct path. of virtue, and only then can they become superior.
DeleteAccording to Confucius, if the people were led by law, they would not be subject to obedience. He says they would avoid their punishment without shame. However if they were led by virtue, they would not only follow the rules but would be shameful when commited of wrongdoing. When it comes to superior man, Confucius gives three major things that he should ¨stand in awe” of; heaven, great men, and word of sages. Essentially he is saying to have respect for those superior along with beliefs in a heaven. Along with these 3 major concepts, Confucius also felt very strongly about propriety. Propriety can be defined as having manners. I feel that his importance on propriety goes hand in hand with his ideas on being led by virtue. Virtue means doing what is morally right, and you can’t follow that example with a negative character. “Without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity;boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness,” this quote is a perfect example of how propriety leads to living by virtue. After reading this document, it is safe to conclude that some of the main concepts of Confucianism are propriety and filial piety. Filial piety is the support of ones parents. This goes along with the qualities of superior man in the statement that, “He stands in awe of great men”. Once Confucius was gone, his apostles kept his teachings alive by recording them. While China was sinking into the Warring States, Confucianism reshaped their way of thinking not only for the current time, but for the future.
ReplyDelete“According to Confucius, if the people were led by law, they would not be subject to obedience. He says they would avoid their punishment without shame. However if they were led by virtue, they would not only follow the rules but would be shameful when commited of wrongdoing.”
DeleteIndeed. This could be applied to children as well. Let’s say one was misbehaving and you tell them to stop. They don’t understand why it is bad to do whatever they were doing though, especially if you just say, “Because I said so/it is the law).” They’ll continue misbehaving, albeit discreetly, rebelling. And that is counter-intuitive.
“When it comes to superior man, Confucius gives three major things that he should ¨stand in awe” of; heaven, great men, and word of sages. Essentially he is saying to have respect for those superior along with beliefs in a heaven.”
So… what it means to be a superior, is that he’ll have to respect them first in order to become one? I guess it means to be humble.
“Once Confucius was gone, his apostles kept his teachings alive by recording them.”
Despite his teachings being controversial when he was alive, look at what influence it had over the centuries. Truly a great leader who knew what he was doing, and it shows because of his followers.
Confucius was a philosopher who had disciples who wrote about his idea of how life should be lived as well as how people should act towards one another. Confucius had many theories as to how life should be lived. For example the idea of an ideal government was for people to be lead by virtue. According to the article, “Confucianism: Government and the Superior (551- 479 BCE)”, “If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.” Confucius considered the superior man to be a man who stands in awe of the heavens, stands in awe of great men, and stands in awe of words of sages. Standing in awe of the heavens is to respect religion, while standing in awe of great men is to respect your leaders/superiors. Standing in awe of the words of sages is to accept words of wisdom from others to in a way be open-minded. Confucius believed greatly in the idea of propriety, propriety is essentially manners and without manners you don’t develop a positive character. From this document the main theme of confucianism is Propriety: conformity to proper behavior or manners as well as the idea of Filial Piety: Dutiful respect for parents (to respect their parents unconditionally) the article states “The filial piety of now-a-days means the support of one’s parents.”. The warring state was important because it helped develop confucianism by Confucians teachings to help reshape the future Chinese millennia to come.
ReplyDeleteThe Confucian’ idea of an ideal government is a ruler who loves to observe the rules of propriety, and the people respond readily to the calls on them for their service. If the people are led by laws, and are punished if violating the law, will be scared to get punish but won’t be ashamed if punished. “The master said, “When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service,” (1).The major qualities of a superior man, according to Confucius is that there are three things that a man should stand in awe. He stands in awe at the ordinance of Heaven, great men, and the words of sages. “Confucius said, “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinance of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages,” (2).Confucius consider propriety important for individuals, family, and states because it is the conformity to proper behaviours or manners. “Propriety Conformity to proper behaviour or manner,” (3).The major themes in Confucianism are filial piety, propriety, ideal government, and superior man. “The Master said, The filial piety of now-a-days means the support of one’s parents. The Master said, Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity. The Master said, When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service. Confucius said There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinance of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages,” (1,2).The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because it helped shaped China in the millennia. “After Confucius, China sanked into an even worse period know as the Warring States. These Analects, which described what we commonly known as Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come,” (1).
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you stated, however it would make more sense if you elaborated on your textual evidence. You stated your answer and then quoted the exact same words from the text. Elaborate on your interpretation of what the quote means.
DeleteOkay, I understand what you are saying on that my answers were the the same as the quote. Thank you for pointing that out to me, now I know that I need to elaborate more on my answers.
DeleteI agree with what you said, our statements were almost exactly alike, and well explained. You had many quotes, and some explanation. It could have used, as Kristina said, more elaboration of textual evidence, but overall, it was well written.
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ReplyDeleteThe Confucian’ ideal of a government is to follow the rules of propriety. Confucian’ thought that people led by law and punished if they broke them that the people would actually try and avoid breaking the law at all costs. He also said that "To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?" By that he means to go back and fix what has happened in the government and make it correct by him. Confucius not only believed in the ideal government, but also a superior man. The major qualities of a superior man should be to stand in awe, makes sport of the words sages, acts before he speaks, and conservant with righteousness. Propriety was big part of society according to Confucius as well. Confucius considered propriety important for individuals and for family as well as state because without propriety the Master said “"Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness." (1). Confucian thought that without propriety that instead of a nice and respectful society, there would be a rude and disrespectful society and that was definitely not wanted at all. According to the document, each titled section can be seen as the major themes in Confucianism because Filial Piety, Propriety, Ideal Government, The Superior Man, and Spirits are the main things that are wanted in Confucianism. The Warring States period was really important for the development of Confucianism because “Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments.” (1). The enriched ideas by his disciples are now known commonly as Confucianism.
I really liked the way you talked about the superior man. I completely agree and it's more in depth than how I said it. I also liked the way you said the themes but I think that some of them could have been combined into one. Not only that but I think that some of them fit into the same thing like propriety applies to every section making it stand out more than others. All in all I really liked the way you approached it though!
DeleteI really enjoyed your response because everything stated here was very detailed and well structured. You made some key ideas clear and I really think the way you cited things had a great effect because you wrote your quote but you also explained it! Great job! Like Tyler, I really liked the way you explained the characteristics of a superior man. Throughout your response I noticed you had captured ideas I captured as well. Your response is great!
DeleteI completely agree with your view point of what Confucianism is and Confucians idea of how people should live. Rather then just giving the key points as to what Confucianism is you gave examples from the text as well as elaborated on your ideas. I really enjoyed reading about this topic with details to further my knowledge of the topic. With the details I began to further think about this topic and thought about how Confucians was in a way like Gandhi in their similar way of trying to create peace amongst large amounts of people.
DeleteConfucianism had a large effect on Chinese culture as a whole. For one Confucianism was a design of government that the chinese used for generations to come. It also a code of behavior to live by, replacing something like the morales of religion. While not a code of laws, Confucianism was viewed as a general set of rules for people to live by. The best case of this being the superior man. By giving people something to strive to be, it allows people to try to be better than themselves. With the idea that if everyone strives to be the superior man, the nation itself will strive to be good. This could have come up during the warring states period, as many people were embedded in conflict. As certain areas adopted Confucianism, they desired to resolve conflict, based on their morale code. Confucianism made people all around china more accustomed to a single mannerism, or propriety. As people came under a single mannerism, what’s proper became what is common place, and people were less likely to be offended. So Confucianism as a whole helped bring China to a common custom.
ReplyDeleteyea Alex those are all great points. i do agree with the whole Confucianism having a big role in Chinese culture. i don't believe the nation itself will strive to be good, i feel that most people will try to be better than others. causing conflict. so i don't believe the nation would be better i think it would be almost the same as it was originally
DeleteI liked your point where you said "While not a code of laws, Confucianism was viewed as a general set of rules for people to live by." I wouldn't quite say it replaced the morales of religion but that's just me." I liked your points and how you backed up your answers with evidence. You had a well structured paragraph.
DeleteIn Confucius’s life span he managed to formulate an entire way of life that would go on the shape an entire country decades after his death. He believed in having a strong structured family life and government. His perspective on an ideal government would be one where the ruler wants and thrives to serve the people for the greater good. A government where the people want to follow the ruler and his rulings are based off of a good virtue. “The Master said, ‘He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north pole star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn to it’” (Confucianism). He also believed in a superior man. A man that can be looked upon and knows his virtues. In his own words he said, “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages” (Confucianism). A superior man stood out from the crowd and worked for the truly valuable things in life not just the materialistic. One major thing that he constantly reinforced was the importance of propriety and that without it words we once stood for were twisted into words we shun. “The Master said, "Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.’” (Confucianism). The major things that were stressed in Confucianism is the overall respect for everyone and living a peaceful, happy life. After Confucius’s death China fell into a period known as the Warring States from 475-221 BCE. This time was so important for the idea of confucianism because it was when Confucius’s disciples started to write down and keep a written record of his sayings and teaching. Once they started to reteach the ideas China came out of it’s funk and returned to a peaceful state based off his healthy government and relationships foundation.
ReplyDeleteI think that your explanation throughout was excellent! I really liked how everything linked to the true meaning of Confucianism. Your quotes were also very supportive and detailed. You summarized Confucianism very well and you went in depth with the answers to the questions. I enjoyed your summary because I understood it very well. It helped me understand some things that were not yet clear to me when I had read the document. Also I found your response effective because you went on to talk about how Confucianism affected China.
DeleteI think altogether that your forum was written really well! Your evidence was always valid to the answers to the questions and your summary of Confucianism was great. The way you wrote your forum really helped me understand bits and pieces about Confucianism. I agree with you on your answer about Superior Men, Confucian did say that they needed to stand in awe.
DeleteI think your post was really well put together and written. Your ideas flow into the other ideas seamlessly. Your answers explained the concepts very well and you also added evidence which really made your response solid. I also really liked that you didn't lose the point of the each idea. Your post was a breeze to read and really helped me understand the idea of Confucianism,
DeleteI really liked your response, it is well structured and everything flows together making easy to understand. You did a good job answering all of the questions with your own words and using the quotes to support your answer it shows that you have a good understanding of the text. you also helped me understand the concept better. :)
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ReplyDeleteConfucius’ thought of an ideal government is “to rectify.”(Confucianism). He believes that people should be led by people who will do right, so then everyone else will also do right. Confucius’ standards of a superior man is when “the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.”(Confucianism).Confucius believes that a superior man does not just think for himself, but that he is like a sponge, soaking in intel from those who came before him. He finds propriety important because without it comes “rudeness”, and “insubordination”(Confucianism). If there was no propriety then the state would fall apart easily, and crime would be inflected everywhere, making it a harder place to govern.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the Idea goverment when u said people will lead when u do right because people will follow those who show effort and people will follow you.But Also u have went in to more detail about the superior men becuase u went far but not to the point where its not enough though.
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ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with all the statements you have stated in each answer. I liked how your answer meant the same thing as the quote you have put in, but it meant the same thing in different wording. I also liked how you restated the question in your answer so the reader or readers know what you are answering. You also forgot to put a dash between 475-221 B.C.E., so people might think it was actually 475221 B.C.E.
DeleteYeah I meant to but I guess it got lost in the sauce. Sorry! Technical difficulties.
DeleteMake sure to not get stuff lost in the sauce, it could come back and haunt you for life.
DeleteConfucius was a scholar who had unique ideas about the fixing of relationships in a society to regain peace, order and a balanced structure. The Confucian idea of an ideal government is where the ruler is fair, and is a great leader. Where he cannot conduct right from wrong. According to Confucius the people are to be led by virtue so they can know what they have done wrong and later rectify their actions to become good citizens/people. According to Confucius the major qualities of a superior man is when he stands in awe of the ordinances of heaven, great men and words of sages. "There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.¨ (Confucianism). Propriety is important because without it future outcomes will not be pleasant. Confucius declares that it is is best to have respectful, well mannered citizens that sets a society as a great one. Basically, without the rules of propriety respectfulness becomes a ¨laborious bustle¨. Confucius’ major themes in Confucianism are filial piety, propriety, ideal government, and spirits. These themes have a purpose to benefit the people, state, and ruler. The Warring states period was so important for the development of Confucianism because ¨Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments.¨ (Confucianism). Confucianism overall affected how certain laws or things are now. It shaped many decisions made nowadays and how we the people are viewed.
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DeleteI completely agree with your first statement about Confucius where you said he had unique ideas about the fixing of relationships in a society. Your forum is well written as well as right to the point and I really like that. You capture the overall meaning of Confucianism with all of your answers that tie together which was really nice to read! Almost all of your well written reasons and details were all backed up with credible evidence but other than that your forum was great!
DeleteI also agree with your post about Confucianism. I really appreciate the fact that you were able to show evidence to your statement. I couldn't agree more when you talked about how Confucianism affected China. I felt that I was able to capture the meaning of Confucianism because at no point did I get confused on a certain idea or anything. You did a really great job, your post was full of useful information and it helped me understand ideas that were confusing to understand.
DeleteI really liked how easy to read your forum was. It all flowed together very simply and simply answered the question. I also really liked that you explained and introduced who Confucius was before starting to answer, it made the concepts and ideas easier to grasp. I felt like all your information was well backed up as well, so I wasn't left wondering how you came to that conclusion. All in all I think you really understood the idea of Confucianism and could help someone else understand it too.
DeleteI agree with your post as well. You mentioned why Confucius taught Confucianism which was to restore social order like you mentioned. However, I disagree in one part. You mentioned that a major theme was spirits. Confucius hardly spoke of it if any at all. Could it really be stated as a major theme?
DeleteConfucian’s idea of an ideal government is to lead with correctness. He states "To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?” Also, he wanted his people to follow his ruling. The major qualities of a superior man, according to Confucius, should be “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of the sages.” It’s a man who practices his faith, a man who bows down to his leader, and a man who accepts the knowledge of wise words. Confucius considers propriety important for individuals and family, as well as for the state because it’s a means of good manners and the right way of saying/ doing things. He says things like, “...boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.” The main themes seen in Confucianism are filial piety and propriety. He believes in respect for your parents. He also believes in conformity to proper behavior or manners. The warring states period was important for the development of Confucianism because during that time, his ideas brought civilization/the people together.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with what you said about the qualities needed for a superior man and how you portrayed the main idea about the necessary rules and correctness needed to be followed by the people. At the end of your paragraph when you mention the warring states period, you should've added something about how it was considered the "dark time". Overall it was a well written paragraph with excellent backup evidence that supported and portrayed your main idea.
DeleteConfucius’ idea of an ideal government is based on manners and respect, typically how you treat your people. He believed that if you create laws and cruel punishments, it would not create justice nor will you get any respect from your people. According to Confucianism: Government and the Superior,’”If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame,’” (Confucianism). To better improve a government, you get rid of the corrupt and rise with the good men. If the government is guided by righteousness rather than greed, a civilization would prosper. If you lead by what is right, and not by temptation, people will follow; which creates the characteristics of a leader. A leader rewards the good and teaches wrong from right to the ignorant. If you lead by what’s politically correct and morally right, then people would not defy your governing. When a leader is making decisions and deciding what’s wrong or right, he looks to reference from his religion and ethics,his ancestors, and the old and wise. The superior man looks in his holy books and asks his gods or God to guide him to do what’s right. He looks in ancient books from his past leaders and ancestors to assist him. Elders are the wisest men of any empire or simply a village, the leader shall be humble and listen to what the greats have to say to be a better person. An injustice man is said he is unable to do this, according to Confucianism: Government and the Superior,’” The mean man does not know the ordinances of Heaven, and consequently does not stand in awe of them. He is disrespectful to great men. He makes sport of the sages,’” (Confucianism). With this high respect to elders and parents comes reward and knowledge. Having a sense of obligation to have manners and respect for parents grants you great things and prevents conflict, that is what Confucius was trying to explain with propriety and why it’s so important. Without the fall of power from the warring states and constant conflict, people needed something to rely on and unite China. Confucianism did just that is used thousands of years later. He might not have got the prestige he deserved in his lifetime, but his loyal followers created eternal enlightenment by spreading his teachings of Ideal Government, Respect to family, and Leadership for years to come.
ReplyDeleteThe Confucian’ idea of an ideal government is when the man looks at the rules of propriety, he who makes his own conduct correct, he who advances the good and teaches incompetent. According to the document ‘“To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct”’(Confucianism Document). Confucianism is a idea of instructions of being a strong and leading ruler, one who has self-control and treats his people right. The major qualities of a superior man according to Confucius are what a superior man stands in awe. There are three things a superior stands in awe which are: He stands in awe of the ordinances of the Heaven, which means he does a prescribed religious rite of the Heaven. Stands in awe of great man. He stands in awe of the words of sages. Which mean he stands in awe of the words of wise men. Propriety is important for individuals, for family, and well as the state because without the rules of propriety, there will be fear, there will be defiance of authority, and there will be rudeness. It will be a mass chaos without the rules of propriety. The major concepts of Confucianism are Filial Piety, which is Dutiful respect for parents. Propriety, which is conformity to proper behaviors or manners. An Ideal Government of what the master defines as an ideal government. The Superior Man and the Spirits. After Confucius died, his followers were left unguided because Confucius did not leave any writings to help guide them. But his disciples wrote down or recorded and improved his ideas and made collections of his teachings and arguments. This reshaped China and the way they thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your views on leading, I never thought about leaders being strong because I never focused on that concept, good eye and good job on citing.
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ReplyDeleteThe Confucian of an ideal government was where people followed the rules that was given with no say so.Respectfulness without rules of propriety becomes carefulness,with out the rules of property.People led by laws and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments.Who that exercise government his virtue may be compared to the north polar star which keeps its place and all the stars turn toward it so will follow who that follow the laws correctly.Riches and Honors are what men desire If they can not be held up properly they shouldn't be held.He should stand for ordinances of heaven,also a great men,and he stands for sages.Because laborious bustle carefulness without the rules of propriety family will fall apart and without the rules of propriety there is rudeness.When proviety is used correctly not misused the people will do what u say because of the respect you are showing toward them.That Confucianism is a very important rule and that if you don't follow the rules you will have consequences for your false actions.Confucianism a system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by confucius and developed by mencius.Also a chinese belief that they follow and a very powerful rule.Warming states was so important because a symbol that the chinese way of thinking a collection of teaching and arguments that led to a main idea on something you were talking about.China regain peace and order with the warring states.Warring states was from (475-221B.C.E)
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ReplyDeleteConfucians ideal government follows the idea of the people following the ruler and the rules that come along with it. A matter of following directions will demonstrate fidelity. According to Confucius, “There are three things of which a superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.” Meaning, he is a man who practices religion, has a role model, and is acceptant of wisdom. Confucius considers propriety important for individuals and for family, as well as for the state because it’s important to demonstrate the proper mannerisms. “Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.” The major themes in confucianism that are seen in this document are filial piety and propriety. The Warring States period was such an important time for development of Confucianism because his ideas affected china and helped bring them to their traditional custom.
ReplyDeleteI liked your answer to Confucius's ideal government. I can agree to believing that "A matter of following directions will demonstrate fidelity." I can see why Confucius would want that as one of his traits for an ideal government. I agree to your statement, it was well thought out and I had similar thoughts about that.
DeleteI agree with the way you organized your answer, and I really liked how you used your quotes to support your claims. I wish you elaborated more on your answer to question 5 because it seemed too short.
DeleteThe Confucians ideal government was to rectify by leading people into correctness which means following the rules of the ruler. According to Confucius the qualities of a superior man are “He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He makes sport of the words of sages”(Confucianism). Otherwise the superior man practices his religion, is a leader, and speaks of wisdom. Propriety is important to Confucius because he believed it would restore social order based on proper relationships. By fixing the relationships of “ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend”(Confucianism) peace and order would regain. Confucianism could be seen as people who desired wealth but could only get it the right way or they would not get it at all. Also, Confucianism could be seen as people who disliked poorness and unkindness that if it was not taken care the right way it could not be avoided. The Warring States period is important for the development of Confucianism because Confucius’s disciples recorded and enriched his ideas. Analects would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come. Although his Confucius’ ideas were not accepted during his ruling class time but it did not stop him from teaching.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with everything you said because your ideas were very much like mine. You have well structured paragraph that portrays the main idea with strong backup evidence. You thoroughly explained what the ideals of the Confucius government were and how they are implemented. Overall, good job.
DeleteYour question had good points, however I feel like it lacked deeper insight. I really liked your description of what Confucius's ideal government was, I totally agree that he believed the purpose of government was to lead the people into correctness! I was very confused in the section where you talk about Confucianist views on wealth, I think you might have misinterpreted their views. Could you clarify or provide more evidence to why you think Confucianists desired wealth?
DeleteConfucianism was an idea created by a philosopher named Confucius. In Confucianism, he had many ideas on how a man can be a good person and a good leader. Some qualities of being a superior man according to Confucius is being thoughtful and righteous. According to Confucius, ‘“There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages”’ (Confucianism Document). A superior man must have a good virtue and have self-control. Confucius also believed that propriety is a virtue because it can establish healthy relationships. Without it all, relationships would not be able to be positive. Without propriety, people will become careless, rudeness will rise. According to Confucius, ‘"Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness”’ (Confucianism Document). Confucius’s idea of an ideal government was based on trying to keep order. If people were led by uniformity and laws, they would try to avoid punishment but feel no shame. According to Confucius, ‘"If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame”’ (Confucianism Document). If people were led by virtue and uniformity sought to be given by the rules of propriety, the people would actually have a sense of shame and in result of that become good. According to Confucius, ‘“If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good”’ (Confucianism Document). Confucius also says that to keep order, you must advance the upright and set aside the crooked. According to Confucius, ‘“Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit”’ (Confucianism Document). Confucianism has many themes about how life should be lived and how to be considered a good human and how to have a good moral. Confucius wanted a world where there was peace and everyone had a good moral. So he showed ways that he believed would make people be respectful, courteous, and be grateful which in return would make the world a better place to live in. Once Confucius died, China went into a period known as the Warring States, 475-221 BCE. During this period, China had to reteach the idea of Confucianism which really helped develop the idea. This brought China to bring healthy relationships and a healthy government for the many years to come.
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DeleteNo one was able to explain in as much detail as you were the idea of Confucianism. Not only was everything you stated in depth, it was backed up with evidence and details. I specially liked the part where you talked about propriety because not only did you have one quote with an explanation, you had two so I was left with no doubt that that really was how he felt. Not only that part, but the overall themes that you stated. It is just what I was thinking and tried to say but yours came with a quote! I think you did a really good job on this and I agree with everything you said.
DeleteYou have some great insight good evidence from the text to support your answers. However, I feel that you overused the use of quotations. To make your easy flow better I would suggest paraphrasing your "evidence" instead of quoting it. I really like how you described Confucius idea of a superior man, I totally agree with your insight. Your conclusion really gave the essay a sense of finalization!
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your forum. You described everything in a way that not a lot of other people did. You talked about everything in such depth and understanding. I agree with everything you said, and I like how you quoted evidence, but next time try to paraphrase more! Other than that it was overall really good!
DeleteThe Confucians’ idea of an ideal government would be where people follow the rules when they are given without any questions. “ If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no shame,” (Confucianism, 1). Also it is based on a principle of proper relationships which include , “those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend,” (Confucianism, 1). The ideal government also included the ability to correct problems, “ If good men were to govern a country in succession for hundred of years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments,” (Confucianism, 1). “To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?” (Confucianism, 1). Another thing is that according to Confucius, the superior man includes strong aspects from all across the board. For example, “ He acts before he speaks, and afterward speaks according to his actions.” (Confucianism, 2). He also “... stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the great words of sages.” (Confucianism, 2). Also Confucius considers propriety important for individuals and families because it meant you have respect for that person and use proper manners. “...parents, when alive,should be served according to propriety; that, when dead, they should be buried according to propriety; and that they should be sacrificed according to propriety.” (Confucianism, 3). Some major themes in Confucianism include “ Filial Piety, Propriety, and ideal government, the superior man, and the acknowledgement of spirits.” (Confucianism, 4). China had been in a social instability which was caused between rivalry among different princes. This situation occurred due to “ the breakdown of China’s social foundation, which was based on the principle of proper relationships,” (Confucianism, 5). By fixing these relationships through Confucianism, China regained their peace and order.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with how you have answered everything. The way you have restated and cited is the same way I did. The structure of this is very effective. Its down to the point and well written. The way you have cited your evidence is done very well cause I can go back into the article and see exactly where it is from while being able to connect everything that is said. Overall this gave me a very good understanding of Confucianism and helped me develop a better understanding.
DeleteI really like how you answered all of the questions except for the Warring States. Other than that you cited text evidence well, made it easy for me to find it in the article, and you wrote it very well. The only question I am confused on is when you paraphrased some of the first paragraph near the end of your paragraph. Were you saying that that is the Warring States?
DeleteI agree strongly with everything that you've said. I like how you get right to the point. You were able to describe Confucianism by the important basics and also cite your evidence. You summarized Confucianism very well, that gave the audience a clear understanding. You didn't get off topic and your essay was well constructed. This is something that i would like to achieve later on, to be able to make a short essay that gets right to the point.
Deleteconfucian idea of an ideal government is the people will not have laws but they will be led by their virtue, so when they know they did something wrong , they feel it by there own guilt and punish themselves and fix the situation on their own.the major qualities of a superior man,according to Confucius is a man with self control . He is saying that a superior man will be responsible but to be able to take liability for his actions .Confucius consider proprietary important for individuals as well as for the state because he stated "Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination;straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness." hes saying that without property for individuals and families we become disoriented and we become more aggressive to each other.the major themes in Confucianism is Every action affects someone else. we ( as individuals) do things carelessly and not think of the consequences to our actions , of those actions we affect someones lives whether your action was big or small .the Warring States period so important for the development of Confucianism because it inspired Confucius to search for a way to restore the deteriorating social order in China, which was what resulted in the development of Confucianism.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the consideration of propriety. Without respect, carefulness, and timidity, most families and individuals would probably be very corrupted. They wouldn't be able to stand each other, and would probably never talk to others.
DeleteI agree with your view on why the warring states period was so important. When China experienced political decentralization and social instability from about 551 - 479 B.C.E, Confucius was inspired to search for restoration of social order. "Confucius argued that this chaotic situation was due to the breakdown of China's social foundation, which was based on the principle of proper relationships(Confucianism)."
DeleteThe Confucian’ idea of an ideal government has a few parts to it. For example good leadership. Meaning rules set by the ruler to follow and the people are expected to follow if not there will be a punishment given. People following the rules have a good relationship with the ruler. According to the article “The key relationships included those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend” (Confucianism 1) which is another idea meaning good relationship amongst others.The basic idea of it all is to have a healthy relationship with everyone but at the same time doing what is right.(Confucianism 1)Confucianism was made to benefit the people and give a way of life for all but for men there was more. The major qualities of a superior man according to Confucianism include 3 major ones. One is “He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven” (Confucianism 2). Number 2 would be “He stands in awe of great mean” (Confucianism 2). The third major one would be “He stands in awe of the words of sages” (Confucianism 2). These were the the major qualities otherwise if not followed the man would not be considered superior.Besides the qualities rules/ manners were needed.Confucius consider proprietary important for individuals and family, as well as for state because without it everything would be unorganized. There would be laborious bustle, timidity, and rudeness. Propriety confirms that people have proper behavior or manners(Confucianism 3).Although there were many aspects to Confucianism some were more major aspects.The major themes in Confucianism would be Filial Piety, Propriety, Ideal Government,The Superior Man and acknowledgement of spirits(Confucianism 4).The whole reason for Confucianism was the Warring State Period.The Warring States Period was important for the development of Confucianism because China was socially unstable and was at its worst state during the Warring States Period.They needed restoration of social order.Confucianism came into the picture and was what was needed(Confucianism 5) Confucianism restored order for the Chinese way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said but also when describing "the superior man" it was also mentioned they act before they speak and then after the fact speak upon their actions.
DeleteI agree with almost everything you stated, however, I believe that you could've gone a little more into depth when you talked about The Warring States period, considering it was caused due to the fact that Confucius hadn't left any of his written works left behind, and the question is, how could China continue on without him? Also, the last few sentences were a bit jumbled and hard to understand, though, the rest of your response was on point 100% and like said previously, I agree with what you stated.
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ReplyDeleteHis idea of an ideal government is where the ruler is kind and is able to help those who need help and give justice accordingly. Vice versa, the subjects of the ruler must serve and be faithful to their leader and let there be a balance. “When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service.” (Document #1, Paragraph 7). According to Confucius, the main qualities of a superior man is humility, thoughtfulness, and righteousness. What he means by humility is that he respects the words of his elders, men that are greater than him in some way, and religious beliefs. “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven, He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.”(Document #1, Paragraph 16) Thoughtfulness then allows for one to think through a situation, then responding in an appropriate manner. Righteousness allows a superior man to perform actions that not just beneficial to one’s self, but to others. Confucius considers propriety important because if you behave in a thoughtful and respectful way, people will treat you the same way and you will be able to understand one another. The major themes of Confucianism are filial piety, propriety, and righteousness. The Warring States was important for the development of Confucianism because they were at a time of great political instability and they hoped to find a system of government that was close to their goals. Confucianism is an ethical system that is based on proper relationships and respect between families and governments, which would be very appealing for a state that is unstable.
ReplyDeleteYou covered all of the key points that needed to be covered, but I didn't really feel a real flow between your answers. Also, at the beginning, you only mentioned a "he" and I didn't know who that was until later. I do appreciate your elaboration on the subject of the superior man, it was very in-depth. When you refer to a group of people, please explain them, as your comments on the Warring states period confused me.
DeleteLike Josh commented, you did cover the main idea's of the text but it was a little hard to understand. I think if you add in some transition words or of you connected one idea to the other it could help your response. For exapmle at the begining you mentioned, "His idea of an ideal government is.... Vice versa, the subjects of the ruler must serve and be faithful to their leader and let there be a balance" you could replace vice versa with 'in return' .
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ReplyDeleteThe beliefs of Confucianism impacted the Chinese government in a positive way. After the Warring States (475-221 B.C.E.)(Confucianism 5) the Chinese government was collapsing even more than it already had and they needed something that would pull them from the ashes and succeed better than they had before. What was the go-to beliefs? Confucianism’s beliefs of an ideal government. Why? Well Confucius believed that an ideal government would be: if the ruler was fair/ just to everyone and wasn’t greedy, the people would learn to trust him and would follow him more wholeheartedly (Confucianism 1). Confucius himself stated “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.”(Confucianism 1) In order for them to have a successful government they needed a successful and superior man to rule them. A superior man should stand in the awe of great men, stand in awe of sages, act before he speaks and later speak according to his actions, be set on virtue and never stray from his virtue, and he should keep himself under the restrain of the rules of propriety (Confucianism 2). The rules of propriety should be followed by all because without the rules of propriety things like righteousness, boldness, and straightforwardness come across as rude and uncalled for (Confucianism 3). By using these beliefs and teachings of Confucius, such as the belief of an Ideal government, ruling by the superior man, and rules of propriety, the government was completely reshaped and improved, supporting the idea that Confucianism impacted the Chinese government in a positive way.
I strongly agree with what you said about Confucius and his idea of government. You said "If the ruler/just to everyone and wasn't greedy, the people would learn to trust him and would follow him more wholeheartedly." That is exactly what the text is saying when they quote what the "Master" said. In my blog, I said they would lean more towards the leader and be trusting. In comparison, both you and I saw that it depended on how the ruler acted towards his people and his use of power, that would cause the people to decide either to be loyal or pay no attention to government.
DeleteConfucianism is basic set of rules/guidelines of how to be a respected leader and expeditions of how to be the best man you can possibly be, which centers around the idea of Propriety. Confucianism was greatly influenced by the Warring States Period because when China sank, this gave the Chinese something to believe in most likely gave them hope for a better future. "After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475221 B.C.E.)...his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together a collection of his teachings and arguments... Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come(Confucianism)."
ReplyDeletePropriety provides a sense of order to your actions, conversations, community, family,p and state. "...parents...should be served...buried..[and]sacrificed to according to propriety...."[W]ithout the rules of propriety, [Respectfullness] becomes laborious bustle; carefulness becomes timidity; boldness...becomes insubordination; straightforwardness...becomes rudeness(Confucianism)."
Confucian's idea of an ideal government, is one whose leader "loves to observe the rules of propriety [Because], the people respond readily to the calls on them for service(Confucianism)." In other words, an ideal government is one whose leader practices what they preach.
"To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?(Confucianism)".
For one to be a Superior man, one must be humble, alert, and must properly display propriety. According to Confucian,to be a Superior man, one must," act before he speaks, and afterward speaks according this actions...The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain...He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven, of great men [and] of the words of sages (Confucianism)."
These guidelines have played very important roles in daily human life during the Warring States Period, and continue to do so to this day!
I agree completely with you throughout your responses. Confucians beliefs really did show when he wanted everything to get better. He really did change the minds of the Chinese people back then. I also agree with you on the superior man section. The characteristics of the superior man would more then likely make a good leader.
DeleteI completely agree with you with the superior man subject. His thoughts were explained very well by the way you worded your paragraph and how you backed them up with textual evidence .
DeleteConfucianism, created by Confucius, taught people to not only be kind to one another, but to respect one another, whether it be family, a friend, or a stranger. According to Confucius, a superior man can be seen as a man who acts before he speaks, “...and afterward speaks according to his actions.” Moreover, the superior man should be familiar with doing the right thing, and not being opposed to virtue. Considering that Confucius had such high expectations in the ‘superior man’, he also had high expectations that involved propriety. Confucius considered propriety important for not only individuals, but for family as well, because it wasn’t right to be disrespectful or disobedient, but to accept the morals or standards of the way of life. “...but does not abandon his purpose; and should they punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur.” Apart from believing in a superior man and the importance of propriety, Confucius also believed in an ideal government--Confucius’ idea of an ‘ideal government’ was one that was based on genuine relationships. “...the key relationships included those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend.” Though, nothing lasts forever, right? After Confucius died, everything went downhill, and would now be known as the Warring States period. The Warring States period was an important factor in how Confucianism was developed because people believed it would, “...reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come.” During some points, it was hard for Confucianism to become fully developed and led because Confucius hadn’t left any ‘written works’, however, he had left a scattered series of his ‘teachings and arguments.’ All of this adds up to the fact that I believe that peace can be seen as a major theme in Confucianism because throughout the document, everything relates back to peace, and not war. Whether it was when Confucius believed in treating your parents with respects and to not argue with them, or when he wanted an ideal government to be based on genuine relationships between people, or how the superior man is always righteous--it always led back to not just peace, but respect.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a Historian! I really enjoyed how you wrote that because it was easy to understand AND you sounded like you really knew what you were talking about. I completely agree with what you thought was the theme. I don't know how i never thought about it like that. Peace is definitely what Confucius was trying to go for. When creating and improving these relationships, it's supposed to bring peace to the people. The superior man relates to everyone, so if everyone acts like this, then yes, it's supposed to be peaceful. I definitely agree that peace is the main idea of Confucianism.
DeleteI love how you introduced the article and its ideas. All of the points you made really supported your thesis that Confucianism is respecting and being kind to one another, it's similar to what I came up with. I especially love how you went in depth with describing the Warring States period. I felt that it was one of the most important times of our society that taught how important manners were. To sum all of this up, your essay was by far my favorite!
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DeleteWith your essay, you put citations on the right places. You used citations to support your idea of Confucianism. I agree with your idea of Confucianism and the idea of a ideal government of how it is about keeping social order and proper social relationships. I just like how you cited you quotations well.
DeleteConfucian’ idea of an ideal government is leading those by virtue not by laws. If the people were led by laws and they broke one of the laws they would try to escape their punishment, and not feel guilty. That is why the people are led by virtue, “If they led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good” (2). Considering they would sense their shame they would eventually become good. The major qualities of a superior man, according to Confucius are standing in awe of the ordinances of Heaven, standing in awe of great men, and standing in awe of the words sages. The superior man acts before he speaks, and after he speaks according to his actions (2). The superior man does not disobey the virtue. In his worst moments he sticks to the virtue no matter what. Confucius considers propriety important for individuals and for family, as well as for the state because with propriety is shown respectfulness and straightforwardness. Without propriety becomes rudeness (1). Filial Piety, Propriety, Ideal Government, The Superior Man, and Spirits are the major themes in Confucianism. After Confucius had died China went into a dark place, “The Warring States” (475-221 B.C.E.). Since Confucius did not leave any of his work behind his disciples had put together his ideas and helped change China the way Confucius would have wanted it to be.
ReplyDeleteThe way you answered question number 5 I believe, wasn't exactly the way I interpreted it. The way I read it, "The Warring States" were to help with the realtionships which was stated in the beginning of paragraph 1.
DeleteParagraph one states nothing about the Warring States. Paragraph one talks about Confucius, who he was, when he lived, and as well as what he did. Paragraph two is what talks about the Warring States.
Delete“After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475221 B.C.E.). Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments"(1).
I like the way you managed to include all the ideas of Confucianism. I feel though, as if you could have explored the over all effect Confucianism in China better. Reading the comment, I feel as if you more so listed the ideas of Confucianism. I would recommend that you try to list more ideas.
Deletegood job, those are all great points and i agree with what Alex said, the more ideas the better. and if you would have touched base more on the qualities of the superior man.
DeleteI really liked the way you touched every aspect of Confucius ideas, although I do wish you elaborated more on his ideas to help readers get a better in depth idea.
DeleteThe Confucian’ was the idea of an ideal government is that if the people would be led by certain laws, and uniformity. This would be also followed by punishment if the laws and roles were to be broken. With the idea of punishment, everyone would try to avoid it. Confucius says that a superior man must also stand in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of heaven, of great men, [and] of the words of sages. If he does not stand in awe, he is being considered disrespectful to the great men. He must always act before he speaks, and then after he is done, he speaks according to his actions. Confucius believed that propriety was important to individuals, and to families because, if there was no propriety, there would be no order. Everything would be chaotic, and there would be rudeness everywhere. Some major themes that some might think Confucianism is mainly about might be order, religious, and tradition. The order for Confucianism would be the way they run things. They must follow a certain set of, they must act in a certain way, and maybe even that they rule their communities a certain way that no one else does. They are religious people because they must believe in certain things. If they do not believe [for example] in the heavens order, then he is disrespectful and would not be worthy for the title. The traditions that they have, would last for a long time, since that they strongly believe in what they already do. The warring state was very important for the development of Confucianism because it helped develop the religion part of Confucianism. During the time of the Warring State, princess would fight over power all the time. Confucius wanted to end all of the arguing, and disrespect throughout the land. That was when the aspect of Confucianism started to be studied, and soon became important in life back then.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you discuss about propriety within families. I believe that is the main point of Confucianism. I had a few problems with your answer. First, in Confucianism, punishment wasn't the way that people were to be encouraged to follow the laws, they were suppose to be led by propriety "If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good."(Document #1, Paragraph 9) Also, it would be better if you added more evidence from the text to support your claims.
DeleteThe ideal government is when man obeys his peers, humanity, and state to become a great leader. Confucianism was introduced by Confucius, a scholar in China. He wanted people to respect the law and face punishment when necessary. He says, “‘If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?’” (Confucianism). He knew that if most people respected rules while others didn’t, that it would influence people who didn’t to do the right thing to start then and there. He had various ways of doing right such as being a great man. Confucius’ major qualities for being a superior man was to stand in awe of three ideas; ordinances of heaven, great men, and the words of sages. He also believed that the main point to being a good leader was by following the rules and being respectful and kind to one another such as siblings, parents, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. In the text he says, “...the key relationships included those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend,” (Confucianism). This also guided him to realize that propriety will lead to virtue. Families and state should be honored, not disobeyed. “‘Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness,” (Confucianism). Based off of the text, confucianism’s main ideas or themes can be Filial Piety, Propriety, Ideal Government, Superior Man, and Spirits. In 479 BC, Confucius died and the Warring States period came into view, causing chaos in China. China had a various amount of wars, and confucianism had to restore humanity and its social structures everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with you and I feel that we have similar thoughts, I just feel that you should of added the fact that confucianism became more important during the Warring states because this was when the religion was first written down by its followers.
DeleteConfucianism is philosophy of how to be a better person overall. The key to being a better person is through relationships. Those relationships are between; Ruler and Subject, Father and Son, Husband and Wife, Older brother and Younger brother, and friend and friend. If you improve these relationships, you will become a better man and society will be improved. That is the theme of confucianism. Confucius's ideal government includes many things. If there was the same punishment for every crime, then no one will commit crime. They would be good if they “led by virtue”. If you treat the government with respect and value, people will follow your example. If we keep the people who do good and put aside the people who don’t, we can control who stays in our state. If their ruler is kind to them then the people will be kind to their ruler. The government should be lead with correctness. Leading with correctness means that everything you do should be done with purity. Nothing should be done out of spite or "because you felt like it". Everything the government does has to be for the good of the people. Confucius also says that every man needs to learn to be the "superior man". The superior man stands in awe of 3 things, heaven, great men, and the words of sages. He acts before he speaks and then justifies his actions. He is righteous and has virtue. He must obtain things you want a proper way. Propriety is a set of rules that people in a society need to follow. He feels it’s important to have these rules because without them comes the things we dislike such as rudeness, laborious bustle, disobedience, and lack of courage. After Confucius passed on, his philosophy stayed. His followers spread it everywhere still continued to worship him. The Warring states period was where confucius had died and peace was destroyed. In order to keep the order of the people, everyone had to keep following his example and lead like he would.
ReplyDelete"Leading with correctness means that everything you do should be done with purity. Nothing should be done out of spite or 'because you felt like it'."
DeleteBecause you are better than that. Right. Not even revenge is worth it, yet many stories (old and new) have heroes who have had their loved ones killed off, becoming angry and acting on it.
"Everything the government does has to be for the good of the people. Confucius also says that every man needs to learn to be the 'superior man'. The superior man stands in awe of 3 things, heaven, great men, and the words of sages."
I wonder. If they are “superior” then why do they stand in awe of “higher” beings? It makes them seem more “inferior” if they do that. Not that it's a bad thing.
"He acts before he speaks and then justifies his actions."
(Of course, he should think before he speaks as well, but that's common sense.) I get it. Sometimes, it is best to do what you believe without conferring with others, in case they may hinder what may be the perfect plan if they misunderstand. They may feel disrespected afterwards, or they may feel impressed.
"He is righteous and has virtue. He must obtain things you want a proper way. Propriety is a set of rules that people in a society need to follow."
Do laws not count? Must we rely on culture? That...makes sense. Say drinking is encouraged however it is illegal to drive drunk. Someone would go out at night for a drink with his coworkers, for the sake of his company’s work culture and to network. He has no conscious problem driving home though, unless he were to get caught.
The United States is different from other countries thanks to its populace having a diverse heritage. They have more laws than other countries may have in order to have more people on the same page.
Is it still necessary for there to be a leader? For society to just be carried on by culture, ruled by the common folk, instead of law, ruled by the government? I think humans can't help but look up to someone or something for guidance. Even kings and queens had a god.
You didn't really cite your evidence and your quotations. Without the citations we would be confused from where received your ideas. Overall this essay has good points. I like how you added your own rhetorical question at the end.
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DeleteConfucianism was the way of life from the 551 to 579 B.C.E., but like any other government there are standards, objectives, and rules to go by. Confucius said, “If people are lead by laws, and uniformity sought out to given to them by punishments, they will sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame” (Doc 1). So, I believe that is what the ideal government is for Confucianism. I say that because without rules we have no structure/order. Granted, there are people who don’t believe in rules, they don’t want to listen to “the man” and thats okay. Because even with those people they have their own set of rules and who knows there might be rules that “the man” made that they follow. Some of the major qualities the Confucius says makes a “superior man” is that he stands in awe of three things and within those three there are other qualities. One of those ‘awe’ is that, he stands in awe of the ordinance to heaven (Doc 1). He is basically saying if a man doesn’t know the ordinance to heaven, than he is a disrespectful man to great man, and as well learned before respect is apart of his ideal government. Another ‘awe is that he stands in awe of great man. The last ‘awe is that he stands in awe of the words of sages. Virtue is another big thing for the superior man. “If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness” (Doc 1). The superior man acts before he speaks. and afterward speaks according to his actions. He is not greedy, conservant with righteousness instead of gain. “By nature, men are nearly a like; by practice, they get to be wide apart” (Doc 1). Confucius says that proprietary us important for individuals, families, and for the state because if you don't take ownership for the things you do than you can blame it on someone else. But if you do that than you don't have respect for others and you lose all trust (Doc 1). Some of the major themes in Confucianism was having respect, knowing your values, and try to be a better person than you actually are (Doc 1). The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because princes started war over power, while Confucius studied for a way to get rid of all the hate in the world (Doc 1). So, has you can see all great governments have to started somewhere. Even if that somewhere was an idea to get rid of all hate.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your response. I like how you hit every point and elaborated upon it. However when you stated the major theme I was a little confused because you did not include the acknowledgement of spirits. Although I think it would have been better to include the major themes as they were given in the document because that would have helped hit every point with clarification.Also about the last three sentences were a little confusing but I think that might be because of word choice.Overall this was a well written response and it went into detail which helped me gain a better understanding.
DeleteThe ideal government according to Confucius, is making strong bonds between key relationships, being a fair ruler who respects and enforces the laws, and someone who is bound to lead and have good intentions for their country. Confucius believed that the only way China could regain peace and order was to fix key relationships like ruler and subject, husband and wife, father and son, etc. (confucianism, 1). If China wanted to keep that peace, the government would have to maintain those relationships. In Confucuis’ teachings he believed that an ideal government needed a “north polar star,” someone whom everybody could turn to. “The master said, ‘He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it (confucianism, 2) .’” In most of his teachings, Confucius believed that an ideal government had to have a fair rulers in order for their people to lean their way. “The Master said, ‘ … Let him be filial and kind to all; - then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; - then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous (confucianism, 2) .’” He believed that with good rulers, it could lead to successful years ahead with different worries. “If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments (confucianism, 2).”
ReplyDeleteBeing a superior man to Confucius meant someone who is righteous and has virtue. He believed that if they did not have virtue or if they lost it, how could they uphold the name “superior man?” “If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name (confucianism, 2)?” Being a superior man meant doing what’s right and not being heartless. “The Master said, ‘The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; … If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness (confucianism, 2).’” Lastly, Someone who is a superior man thinks ahead of time in benefit for others. “The Master said, ‘He acts before he speaks, and afterward speaks according to his actions (confucianism, 2).’” A superior man is someone who is appreciative and grateful, “He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages (confucianism, 2).”
Confucius considered propriety to be important to society as a whole because behavior overall affected them. He believed that with the proper behavior and manners, it could lead to better days. “Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness (confucianism, 2).” Individuals, families, governments, and the entire state could collapse without propriety. With no rules choas could arise, because in everybody’s natural state, it’s a lot easier to act careless, rude, and wild-like.
The major ideas that confucianism focuses on is, an ideal government where the system and rulers are fair, where making good decisions will affect everybody including the leader, in a positive way. Confucianism focuses a lot on self behavior, which goes into depth about being a superior man or propriety. Where righteousness and respectfulness comes into place. It is based on common sense, where as if you don’t know about life, how are you expected to know about death and serving spirits.
The Warring States period was significant to the development of Confucianism because China was going through a rough time and if they hadn’t done anything to fix the problem, they’re kingdom would never be the same. The society, the environment, and government would be broken and destroyed. “Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come (confucianism, 1) .”
I really enjoyed your use of quotes. In the second paragraph when talking about the superior man, the quotes you used completely supported what you were saying and made you seem like a true historian. I agree with everything you said, everything you wrote was very well explained and supported.
DeleteI completely agree with everything you said. I like how you used quotes and supported everything you said with evidence. Although you were very descriptive with everything you said, I feel that you next time you should make your forum shorter and paraphrase as well instead of just using quotes.
DeleteConfucius believed that an ideal government led it's people by doing good, this way people would become good themselves. He said "If led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given to them by the rules of propriety, they will have a sense of shame, and moreover become good (2)". He believed that a superior man acts before he speaks, only thinks about right things, doesn't have anything that wasn't obtained by the proper way, and "The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue". For him proprietary was important to individuals, family and state because "The key to relationships included those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, and friend and friend (1)". He believed it was your duty that when your parents are alive you take care of them and when they die for them to have a proper burial. This is why this bonds are important because when their broken you can not serve the people you are meant to serve. The religion of confucianism had a major themes which were only keep what you rightfully earned, everything takes practice, and "By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice they get to be wide apart (2)". The final most important theme of this religion is You can't serve the death when you don't know what life is, "While you don't know life, how can you know about death (3)". The Warring States were important for the development of Confucianism because it was during this time that the followers of Confucianism decided to record everything.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response completely. The way you interpreted Confucius's ideal government really stuck out to me. Also, your explanations of the evidence you used is well worded. Keep up the good work!
DeleteYour explanation was very well written. Although, I feel that you could have went more in depth on how and why Confucianism changed society after the Warring States period. It was an important time when Confucius’s beliefs of respecting other people were tempted to change society to bring peace and eliminate wars. Besides that, I really enjoyed your response because it showed me a different view on Confucianism and its importance on religion. Nice work!
DeleteI completely agree with you Bernadette writing more details about how Confucius changed the society during the Warring States period but of completed my blog.
DeleteConfucius was a great scholar who aproched life with different views and morals, he was extreamly wise and in China's need for social structure he opened up and shared his wisdom throughout. helping, guiding individuals who later became his disciples and helped spread the new profound information they recieved. This helped China come together and help restore their social structures and help organize thier society.
ReplyDeleteConfucian idea of an ideal government is that if man commits a crime they should be given punishments because they will be able to understand what morals and expectations are expected from them and also the “ideal government” wants to promote laws so they have a better sense of peace and control throughout the city. “ ‘If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment but have no sense of shame.’ “ (Doc.1 par.8)
According to Confucian the major qualities for a “superior man” is “ ‘He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.’ “ (Doc.1 par.16) That to be a superior man you must have a strong moral sense of which is right and which is wrong and uphold his sense of virtue. “ ‘If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name’ “ (Doc.1 par. 22) The superior man is to be righteous and must display his standing constantly, to gain the respect and trust of others. The superior man must have an understanding of love to help obtain sympathy and empathy. The superior man does not crave riches and honors, nor does he take amiss to poverty and meanness.
Proprietary is important for an individual because proprietary means ownership and as an individual because it makes them have a sense of responsibility and to be right with one self you must have a sense of owning up to your wrongs. This applies to all, to be moraly right and to learn lessons we need to own up to situations.
The major themes for Confucianism is in order to promote quality peace throughout a society/government we must first start with the individual, I say this because Confucian was scholar and help try to promote peace throughout china by teaching his ways of life to individuals. “In his search for restoration of social order, Confucius argued that this chaotic situation was due to the breakdown of China’s social foundation, which was based on the principle of proper relationships.” (Doc.1 par.1)
Due to the fact that Confucius did not leave and written documents his followers had to spread the teaching in a novelas way which created Confucianism which helped guide China’s people for years to come. “Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together- in a rather unsystematic way- a collection of his teaching and arguments… would reshape Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come.” (Doc.1 par.2)
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ReplyDeleteThe Confucian’ idea of an ideal government is that the leader sets the example for the people, if he shows kindness for the people they will respond with faithfulness. This meant that if he did what was right everybody else would follow the examples and do the correct thing. “Confucius replied, ‘Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit’ ” [“Confucianism: Government and the Superior (551479 BCE)”].“Confucius said, ‘There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages’’ [“Confucianism: Government and the Superior (551479 BCE)”]. According to Confucius these three things should be a great part of man. To him property is a virtue. its very important to respect parents, family, friend, and everybody else. “According to Confucius, the key relationships included those between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend. Only by fixing these relationships could China regain peace and order” [“Confucianism: Government and the Superior (551479 BCE)”]. From what I can understand of this article one of the major themes of confucianism is that to be able to have peace and order people have to respect each other and establish relationships even if its just by being neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response because your quotes effectively support what you are saying. Although we share similar ideas, I feel you should have added the importance of the Warring States. Overall I share the same thought in your last sentence of one major theme of confucianism having respect for each other and building relationships could restore peace and order.
DeleteConfucianism is a philosophy comprised of the teachings of Confucius, who lived around 551-479 BCE- it greatly influenced the formatting of China's early government. What led to the concept of Confucianism was a period of turmoil and chaos in the city-states of China called the Warring States period which happened between 475 and 221 BCE. (Stearns, 41) This period was extremely important to the adoptation of Confucianism because it led to concerted efforts to promote political order.
ReplyDeleteConfucius’s idea of an ideal government relied heavily on maintaining social order and proper social relationships. A government based on obedience and virtuous behavior in Confucius perspective would help maintain social stability which is the job of the government to do. (Stearns, 49) Confucius’s ideal of government also relied heavily on a sense of propriety. He states, ‘“When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service’”.(Doc.) What Confucius meant by this is that if the ruler of a state is just and well mannered then the people will look at him as a positive example and obey him. In like manner, Confucian also believed that government being a set of laws followed by punishments if broken is not effective because although the people will try to avoid the punishments they will feel no sense of shame because they have no sense of propriety. (Doc.) In the document, Confucius states that, ‘“To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will not dare to be correct?”’(Doc.), again proving that government should rather be governed by a high sense of morals and correctness rather than a set of harsh laws.
Confucius also believed in the idea of a "superior man". According to Confucius the qualities of a superior man consists of being thoughtful, righteous, and appreciative. Confucius states that the superior man stands in awe of Heaven, great men, and the words of sages. (Doc.) I think what Confucius meant by this is that a superior man acknowledges all great things, therefore stating that he does not think of himself as the only “superior man”. The superior man also is thoughtful, ‘“He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.”’, Confucius once said.(Doc.) If a man were to not think about his actions and words then he would not be wise, making wise decisions is a part of being “superior”. A superior man possesses the characteristic of righteousness. He is set on virtue and stays true to it. (Doc.)
Along with the concepts of Confucianism, propriety is one that if the most stressed by Confucius. Confucius considerered propriety an important virtue because it establishes healthy and orderly relationships- without propriety these would not be possible. He states that without it all relationships become negative. (Doc., under “Propriety”) Regarding propriety being beneficial for the state he believed that if the people were taught to emphasize personal virtue, a characteristic of propriety, then it would result naturally in a solid political life. (Stearns, 49) Propriety is also a key factor in maintaining healthy family relationships, without it families would not have respect for one another; Confucius believed that a man with a good sense of propriety in family matters is worthy of ruling a state. (Stearns, 49)
Overall, the central theme of Confucianism is personal virtue; however, it also emphasizes respect for one’s social superiors (filial piety), obedience, and propriety. (Stearns, 49) (Doc.) Confucianism was primarily a system of ethics rather than a religion that focused on abstract concepts, in other words Confucianism was a way of life.
With your essay, you put citations on the right places. You used citations to support your idea of Confucianism. I agree with your idea of Confucianism and the idea of a ideal government of how it is about keeping social order and proper social relationships. I just like how you cited you quotations well.
DeleteThe Confucian idea of an ideal government is when ruler observe the rules of propriety, people respond to calls for service, be led by laws with the uniformity with punishment no shame, and be led by virtue, uniformity with punishment with shame, have a leader who exercises government, and have him or her preside over everyone, and that they be faithful to him/her, so he/she can lead with correctness. “The Master said, ‘When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service.’”(1) According to Confucius, the major qualities for a superior man are that he stands in awe of the ordinance of heaven, in awe of the ordinance of great men, and in the words of the sages. He should also act before he speaks, and then speak afterwards about his actions. Also, he is conversant with righteousness, set on virtue, and desire riches and honor, but not to end virtue. “Confucius said, ‘There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.”’(2). Propriety is important to individuals and family, as well as the state because manners and good behavior are a vital part of a person’s growth and development as a person and and as a family member. It also plays a huge role in respect, since when it is gone everything is ruined. “The Master said, ‘Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.’”(2). The major themes in Confucianism as shown by this document are filial piety, which means respect for parents, propriety, which is conformity to proper behavior/manners, ideal government, which is when rulers observe the rules in a fair way, which leads to people willing to serve their country. Finally, superior men in Confucianism have to be there for it to be successful. “The Master said, ‘When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service."’(1). The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because it showed a goal to never go back to that ever, in China. After the death of Confucius, the entire government went to a bad place. “After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475-221 B.C.E.). Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments. These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism, would reshape the Chinese way of thinking in the millennia to come. Confucius's ideas on good government and proper relationships in the society are clearly reflected in the following arguments.”(1).
ReplyDeleteI agreed with all of your points. The only problem is that you used the same quote twice about people readily responding to the calls of service. Other than that the major themes make sense and the Warring States part makes a lot of sense too. I'm sure China never wants to go back to that either. Anyways keep up the good work!
DeleteThe ideal government according to Confucius is propriety. If there is a good leader, who will show kindness to all and help who is in need, leading and the people conform there wouldn't be need for illegal activity. Make life better for the better man and worse for the bad then the people will understand that the righteous path is the right one. The superior man should be not only thinking for his own interests but also the people around him. She should believe in more than just himself. He uses his actions as a language. Then he will speak. The superior man according to Confucius must act with virtue otherwise he would not be the superior man. Without propriety there would be rudeness and with rudeness comes envy and envy brings anger. If there is rudeness every in the world, everyone would be filled with anger. What is life if you are always angry. Confucianism is like a best case scenario for government. Where everyone is chill with everything and life would be hella chill. The warring states helped form Confucianism by letting the thoughts of others change and add on to it.
ReplyDeleteGood job getting across your information. One thing I would recommend is avoiding the use of colloquialisms in further assignments. Also I feel as if you would do better if you included how classical China was affected by Confucianism.
Deleteily Quentin
DeleteUnder Confucius’s ideas, an ideal government should be ran by virtues not just by simple laws. People need a sense of right and wrong, laws are just statements that say what you can and can’t do. If you break a law people won’t feel any shame, but if they don’t follow virtues then they will feel shame for being disobedient and will want to correct their ways. “If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good” (2). Then there are those who have power in the government. People want to follow righteous and virtuous men, not greedy men who want power and money. “Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit” (2). Once there is a righteous ruler men will follow without question and faith. Now what makes a superior man? “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven… of great men… [and] of the words of sages” (2). The qualities of a superior man are of virtue, wisdom, and righteousness. Then there’s propriety that Confucius considers important because propriety can change the sense of everything. Propriety is what is morally correct. Families and the state have to use the rules of propriety to do what is best for themselves and others. Under the rules of propriety, people can make good decisions, instead of decisions that will only benefit themselves. Propriety changing the meaning of something can be seen in some examples from Confucius. “[B]oldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness” (1). Some major themes in Confucianism would be being virtuous, following the rules of propriety, and being respectful. Virtue is constantly talked about in being a superior man, and in an ideal government. The rules of propriety is also important in an ideal government, and just being plain respectful is important in all aspects of life. From family to government respect is important.The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because China was in a really bad situation. So people sought out information to hopefully help themselves during difficult times. They must of stumbled upon Confucius’s teachings and because of the time period, they were thankful to find advice that could ultimately benefit their way of life.
ReplyDeleteConfucius believed that an ideal government consisted of the rules of propriety, order, and virtue. By having virtue, people would be more willing to follow that government. "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star,
ReplyDeletewhich keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it,” (2). Having propriety motivates people to aid their government. "When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service," (1).
A superior man is righteous and virtuousness. "The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain,"(2). "If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness," (2).
Propriety is conformity to proper behavior or manners. Propriety helps families, individuals, and the state do what’s right. Righteousness helps keep peace and stability.
Confucianism is mostly about being righteous, having virtues, and propriety. Righteousness is how one should live. Confucius considers this as a characteristic of a superior man as well. Virtues help individuals and people as a whole.
The Warring states were important to the development of Confucianism because during this time period, “...China experienced political decentralization and social instability…” (1). Confucianism was meant to restore order to China. Confucius believed that the social order was what was wrong and this was the foundation of his teachings.
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Deletei like how you used textual evidence on every statement you made. Your explanation was very well written and your essay was very well explained .I agree with everything you typed including the part about properties.
DeleteThe confucian idea of an ideal government was to have a ruler who exercise his government. A government that treats everyone as equals. In the document Confucius could be quoted by saying “To be govern means to rectify. If you lead on the incompetent , then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous.” This quote furthers the idea that an ideal government is competent, and treats all humans as equals.
ReplyDelete“The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness.” The Confucian idea of a superior man, had qualities to it. Confucius once said that “There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. A superior man stands in awe of the ordinances of heaven. A superior man stands in awe of great men, and a superior man stands in awe at the words of sage.”
In Confucianism considers property for individuals as well as for families important. The Master can be quoted as saying "Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness." What this quote means is that without the rules of propriety, society would fail to function the way it does.
A major theme i noticed when reading the document is the theme of treating your neighbor as an equal. The golden rule that confucianism builds on is “treat others the way you would want to be treated.” Confucius was a strong believer that all men women and children were all equal. So the theme treat your neighbor as an equal only seemed fit.
In the warring era, Confucius did not leave any written work, but he did disipline and record, and further enrich his ideas by using what he knows, and what he has learned to form this type of government.
Confucian idea of an ideal government is for someone to be a respected leader and expeditions of how to be the best man you can possibly be. "To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?(Confucianism )". Meaning that you need to have your priorities straight and to have to lead with honesty and correctness ..The major qualities of a superior man(according to Confucius) is a man with self control . He is saying that a superior man will be responsible but to be able to take liability for his actions ."By extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err from what is right”(Confucianism.).Confucius consider proprietary important for individuals as well as for the state because as he stated ,"Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination;straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness”(Confucianism).He’s saying that without property for individuals and families we become disoriented and we become more aggressive to each other.The major themes in Confucianism is Every action affects someone else. we ( as individual’s) do things carelessly and not think of the consequences to our actions .Of those actions we affect someone’s lives whether your action was big or small"If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.”(Confucianism) The Warring States period is so important for the development of Confucianism because when China fell into a period known as the Warring States , people looked at Confucianism and felt that it would bring them into a better time.”After Confucius, China sank into an even worse period known as the Warring States (475221 B.C.E.). Confucius did not leave any written works, but his disciples recorded and further enriched his ideas by putting together — in a rather unsystematic way — a collection of his teachings and arguments. These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism(Confucianism)”
ReplyDeleteConfucius says that an ideal government should: respect the rules of propriety, should be quick to serve the laws and sought to give punishment to those who do wrong but will try to avoid punishment. A government should be led by virtue, they must be faithful to itself and others, and must be able to rectify itself and rectify its people. For an ideal government you have to “advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit.” Confucius says qualities of a superior man must be: standing in awe of heaven, in great men, and also the words of sages. A superior man must be righteous, and his mind must be set on virtue.The qualities of a superior man are of virtue, wisdom, and righteousness. Then there’s propriety that Confucius considers important because propriety can change the sense of everything. a collection of his teachings and arguments. These Analects, which describe what we commonly know as Confucianism(Confucianism)”
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ReplyDeleteThe Confucians idea of an ideal government is a government where the people are led by virtue and uniformity, they believed that if the government was ran by virtue, everyone would turn towards the government and respect them/it. “ If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good” (Confucians Govt., Par. 9). What this quote is saying is that if the people are ruled with virtue and uniformity, then in turn they will most likely become good people/citizens. They believed that if you ruled your people with good manners and respectfully, then they would return the favor. If everyone were led by laws and uniformity, they would all try to avoid punishments with no shame. But if they were led by virtue, then the people would develop a sense of shame and in the long run will become good. It was believed that if the government advanced the good people and set aside the bad people, people will submit or follow directions. “ Advance the upright and set aside the crooked , then the people will submit” (Confucians Govt., Par.11). Like I said, is the good people were advanced then more people will want to become good and most bad actions will stop. The major qualities of a superior man are to act before thinking and then to speak according to his actions. Also to keep himself under the rules of propriety, heaven and to stand in awe of the words of sages. The superior man is supposed to act with virtue, if he does so, he will be able to gain riches and honors the right way. “ It will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness” (Confucians Govt. Par. 19). He is also supposed to be respectful to great men and is not supposed to be greedy If the superior man acts with virtue, he will not be ruled by wickedness. Confucius considers propriety important because he thinks that if all act with propriety there will be no issues among the people of his society. If everyone acts with exceptional behavior and manners, then all will be treated fairly and or respectfully, therefore, no issues should arise within the civilization. The major themes of Confucianism are living with propriety, unity, and virtue. The Warring States period was important to the development of Confucianism because that was when Confucius’ teachings and arguments were studied and then transformed into what Confucius believed was correct and right for their government and people in his society/civilization. The people of his civilization began to follow Confucius’ ideas of propriety, uniformity, unity, the superior man, and virtue.