History of China and Eastern philosophies

nChinese Geography & Climate

nRivers

qYellow River (2,900 miles long)

qYangtze River (3,400 miles long)

nMountains

qDespite these massive rivers, only 10% of the land is suitable for farming (19% in U.S.)

qMountains and deserts isolated China from other areas of Asia

nMonsoons

qWinter: winds from mountains (cold & dry)

qSummer: winds from the sea (warm & wet)

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nThe earliest Chinese civilizations developed between these two rivers

qWhy?

nEarly Chinese History

nShang Dynasty (1766-1122 BC)

qAgrarian society ruled by an aristocracy

qKingdom divided into territories governed by officials

qRulers buried in tombs with corpses of faithful servants

qLast ruler was a tyrant and was overthrown

nZhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC)

qLongest-lasting Chinese dynasty

qMandate of Heaven

qIrrigation

qDevelopment of written language

nPictographs & Ideographs

nWarring States Period (403-221 BC)

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nQin Dynasty (221-206 BC)

nRoad system

nTerra-cotta army

qOver 8,000 soldiers!

nGreat Wall(s)

qMore than one wall

nPolitics

q3 divisions

nCivil

nMilitary

nCensorate

qChecked up on government officials

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nThe Great Wall of China

nHan Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220)

nLiu Pang, founder of the dynasty, came from peasant stock

nIntroduction of the civil service exam

qRequired for a job in the government

nExpansion of territory into modern Vietnam and Asia

nTechnological advances

qSteel

qpaper

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nChinese Religio-Philosophies

nWorldly Orientation

nFocus on this life, not an afterlife

nNot concerned with “the end of the world” (eschatology)

nPractical, “here and now” perspective

nMore concerned with natural law than with laws given by a supreme being

nGods & Spirits

nDespite the focus on this world, the ancient Chinese also believed in many different gods and spirits

nThese gods/spirits needed to be satisfied with sacrifices and rituals

nFilial Piety

nShowing respect to elderly members of the family was even more important than attending to the gods/spirits

nYin and Yang

nThe belief that the world operates through the interaction of two opposite, yet complementary natural forces

nThe Five Elements

nClosely related to yin and yang, the idea that the world and changes in the world are due to the relationships of 5 basic elements that are constantly interacting

qFire

qEarth

qMetal

qWater

qWood

n5 Elements

nWhat can we learn about the ancient Chinese from their choosing of these five elements?

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