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Confucianism thesis
Confucianism thesis
The summary of Confucianism
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According to Confucian philosophy, a family that is run well demonstrates that the state is also governed well. Confucianism philosophy was upheld, demonstrating a patriarchal society with a great emphasis on societal class and rigid gender lines, traditions and customs with a heavy emphasis on male heirs to continue the legacy of a family. Comparing Li Ang’s novel, The Butcher’s Wife and Zhang Yimou’s movie, Raise the Red Lantern, Confucian philosophy is clearly represented and shown and the leading female characters battle the oppression forced upon them due to their inability to support themselves. Because Confucian philosophy implies women and daughters are treated as objects instead of human beings, daughters are raised as objects to barter and are never given the chance to learn to gain independence. Without independence, women are forced to depend on their fathers and or their husbands without a choice in whatever matter. Men in a patriarchal society victimize women and oppression of women is largely affected by the socio-economic structure of a male-dominated society. Some say, in order for women to become liberated in a male dominated society, they must gain economic stability. In my opinion, due to the socio-economic settings of many of the works we have read, the female characters do not necessarily need the financial stability to receive their freedom; these women utilize their own mind and bodies to gain power and liberation. The oppression of women can be better explained using Jean-Paul Sartre’s theory of existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism theory. Sartre’s theory of existentialism and de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism theory are similar on some points. Sartre’s theory of existentia... ... middle of paper ... ...unger. This situation parallels the insensitive characteristic of Auntie Ah Wang from The Butcher’s Wife. Both Auntie Ah Wang and Yindi are so far oppressed during their lifetime that when they finally become accepted in society they become the oppressors. Thus, this is a vicious cycle. Of course, both women are oppressed in society and in the end, they oppress each other. And in order to get out that oppressive state, the women must use their bodies in order to escape from the oppression. Poor people are always the victims. And through these two novels, we see that the leading female characters are both victimized because they came from poor households. I feel that Eileen Chang’s writing style has made her female characters seem too unrealistic. These situations are unfathomable. Her novel does not seem to depict the true struggle of traditional Chinese women.
The “prodigal” aunt in Maxine Hong Kingston’s essay No Name Woman, was shunned from her family and ultimately ended up taking her life and her bastard child’s, as a result of public shaming. Instead of being heralded as a heroine and champion of women’s rights, the aunt’s legacy is one of shame and embarrassment that has been passed down through generations. While this story’s roots are Chinese, the issue at hand is multi-cultural. Women suffer from gender inequality worldwide.
When one thinks about female traits or characteristics within the Asian culture you are likely to think of obedience and even docility. This can especially be true of Chinese women. Why is this? Where did this behavior and belief system originate? Many scholars and cultural behaviorists would argue that Ban Zhao and Confucius played a pivotal role in this behavioral construct. Confucian teachings are the foundation upon which much of Asian society and culture have been erected. Confucius’ teachings focused on the importance of family dynamics and the need for children to obey and serve their parental figures. Confucius also stressed the need to exercise restraint and to treat others as you would have them treat you. Ban Zhao was the
As the women narrate the harm caused by men, they lose track of the beings that they once were and become different people in order to cause a reaction in others. These women are hurt in ways that cause them to change their way of living. The Lady in Blue becomes afraid of what others will think of her because a man impregnated her: “i cdnt have people [/] lookin at me [/] pregnant [/] I cdnt have my friends see this” (Shange, Abortion Cycle # 1 Lines 14- 16). Instead of worrying about the life of her child, she worries about how her...
It is widely debated among scholars and among laypeople interested in Confucianism whether or not Confucianism is a religion or just a philosophy with some spiritual aspects. The early dynasties, and some of the ideas developed later by post-Confucius philosophers point to confucianism being more of a religion.
As people, all of the actions we take, and as a result, the benefits and consequences which occur, are rooted from our own beliefs. This is seen every day through the way we carry ourselves, the choices we make, how we treat others, etc. But, most notably, it is seen throughout history in the actions and culture of nations. China in particular is an area with many belief systems/ideologies which have developed over its long history; these include Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism, and Buddhism. With the previous statement, it is only logical to conclude that these belief systems have had a large impact on China’s development and culture.
Confucianism is an East Asian philosophy built up by a Chinese philosopher, Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu), in the 6th - 5th century BCE. It’s a philosophy based on human morals and relationships.
...ese traditions can cause. “What had taken his wife away was something else. It was the entire social system, with its moral code it's superstitions. He had borne them for years while they stole his youth, his happiness, his future, and the two women he had loved most in the world.” (Chin 309). The women in this novel are all displayed as powerless with the exception of Chin. Chin is raised by her mother with her father having been dead since she was small. This could be seen that by not having a male authority figure in her life, Chin was able to move away from the oppression that was shown to her contemporaries and find a place for herself as a strong independent woman.
The subjugation over women has become increasingly rampant in the Chinese setting of Maxine Kingston's "No Name Woman". For thousands of years women have been looked down upon, seen as fragile and rotten. In this short story, the reality of some women's vulnerability is represented through a young Chinese-American girl's supposed aunt. Numerous roles such as inner weakness, culture and personal hardship all unite to create a negative reaction to unwanted oppression. No Name woman gives readers an example of an overly passive woman who ultimately gave in to condemnation. The debilitating circumstances that women are subjected to can eventually produce them to lose hope and cease effort.
Confucianism is a moral and religious system of China. Its origins go back to the Analects, the sayings attributed to Confucius, and to ancient writings, including that of Mencius. Confucius was born a mandarin under the name Kongzi. It was developed around 550 B.C. In its earliest form Confucianism was primarily a system of ethical concepts for the control of society. It saw man as a social creature that is bound to his fellow men by jen, or “humanity.” Jen is expressed through the five relationships—sovereign and subject, parent and child, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, and friend and friend. Of these, the filial relation is most important.
China is a country with a vast cultural and historical background. It is a country with four billon people with extreme cultural diversity, which is nourished by different philosophies of its own. These philosophies are the beginning ideas of Chinese morality and spiritual belief, which were enriched by different intellectual heroes like Confucius.
French feminist criticism concerns itself with the objectification of women, and examples abound in Two Kinds. From the beginning, Jing-mei’s mother pushes her to be a prodigy partially for reasons of pride and competition. Jing-mei’s Auntie Lindo has a daughter who is a national chess champion, and Auntie Lindo never fails to remind anybody of the fact. When discussing their daughters, both Auntie Lindo and Jing-mei’s mother make no mention of their character, only bragging about their level of “genius”. Ironic as it sounds, they are objectifying their daughters and using them as status symbols, no different from flaunting a new car or gadget. On the other hand, American feminist criticism focuses on the victimization of women, a victimization that is apparent in Two Kinds. Though at first glance, Jing-mei’s mother may seem like the antagonist in the story, when one considers her backstory it is apparent that she just wants her daughter to have the life she never had. The mother lost everything when she moved from China to San Francisco in 1949. In China she lost her family, her spouse, and she had to abandon her twin baby girls. She had a very difficult life in a society that was even more hostile to women than post-World War II America. Finally, there is the Female Subtext form of criticism, which focuses on minor female characters. The minor female characters in this story are Aunt Lindo and her daughter Waverly, two toxic characters that represent the opposite of what feminism stands for. Aunt Lindo drones on about how great her daughter and remarks about how she is obsessed with chess with mock disgust. Waverley herself is no saint, as she brags about her level of genius while belittling Jing-mei after her piano recital fiasco. This is strikingly similar to how men looked down upon women as subhuman for most of history. All in all, Two Kinds is
Philip J. Ivanhoe. Confucian moral self cultivation. New York : P. Lang, vol. 3, 1993.
Analects, a compilation of Confucius’ teachings, is greatly recognized as a work of utmost importance and influence in the Chinese culture. The book conveys Confucius’ beliefs on a wide variety of topics, including propriety, education, family relations, and government in efforts to enhance social order.
The concept of Confucianism has contributed immensely in the forming of Chinese character, behaviour and the way to live, with its main purpose being to achieve harmony which is considered the greatest social value. Confucianism firmly highlights the impression of mercy, social order and fulfilment of responsibilities. The effects of Confucianism had impacted both China and Japan to the extent that the changes are still noticeable to this day.
For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should “give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men … (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)” (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He believed in the importance of individuals who knew their roles in an well-structured society, that was a feudal system. In his opinion, the ideal gentleman should be obedient to his elders, have humanness and be morally righteous. Through his teachings, he was able to reform an entire country; the Chinese found Confucianism to embody practices of humaneness that they could apply in their daily lives through his religion.