Name:
Period:
Date:
World History – Mrs. Schenck
Chinese Philosophies
FOCUS: How do Chinese philosophies influence ancient/present culture and government?
Based on our “fortune cookies”, what do you think Confucius valued?
CONFUCIANISM
Confucius lived from around 551 to 479 B.C.E. near the end of the Zhou
dynasty. His family belonged to the nobility, but they were still very poor.
Confucius became an orphan when he was young. However, he studied hard
and become one of the best educated philosophers in China. His ideas, known
as Confucianism, continue to influence Chinese thought after thousands of
years. Confucianism is not a religion, but a code of behavior or philosophy.
Many of Confucius’s wise sayings or _________________ were collected later
in a book called the Analects.
Confucius taught that there are five basic relationships:
1. Husband and wife
2. Father and son
**filial piety: _______________________________
3. Older and younger brother
4. Friend and friend
5. Ruler and subject
Confucius thought that written laws and __________________________are not the best way to bring
back order. A ruler should set a _________________ ____________________ for his people.
**A good society is like a ___________________________in which all members know their place and their
____________________________________.**
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ConfuCius said…
The followers of Confucius wrote down his teachings in the form of
proverbs, or short sayings. His teachings became a guide for the
way many people lived. The following sayings are based on the
book known as the Analects.
Directions: Read the proverbs from Confucius below. Then look at
the sentences that follow. Write whether Confucius would have
agreed or disagreed with each statement. Explain your answer
using the letter of the proverb that supports your answer.
SOME PROVERBS FROM CONFUCIUS
A. Good people bring out what is good in others, not what is bad.
B. To eat your fill but not apply your mind to anything all day is a problem. Are there no games to
play? Even that would be smarter than doing nothing.
C. People who do not think far enough ahead always have worries near at hand.
D. Don’t worry that no one recognizes you; seek to be worthy of recognition.
E. Speak truthfully and guide your friends in good ways. If they do not agree, then stop and do
not follow them.
F. When everyone dislikes something, it should be examined. When everyone likes something, it
should be examined.
G. If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is the real mistake.
1. It is all right for children to watch T.V. all day during summer vacation.
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2. You have an influence on your friends.
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3. Follow the crowd.
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4. Don’t bother to plan ahead, because your plans will usually work out.
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5. Learn from your mistakes.
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6. Be sure that everyone knows who you are.
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7. Write a saying that you think Confucius would agree with. Why would he agree?
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Now see if you can put some of Confucius’ proverbs into your own words. Under each statement
write a few words or a phrase explaining what Confucius is trying to say.
1. “If a ruler himself is upright, all will go well without orders. But if he himself is not upright, even
though he gives orders they will not be obeyed.”
2. “Do not do unto others, what you would not want others to do to you.”
3. "To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage."
4. "The essence of knowledge is when having it, to apply it; and when not having it, to confess your
ignorance."
5. "To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it."
6. "It is only the wisest and the stupidest that cannot change."
7. "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
8. "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall."
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Confucianism Review/Warm-Up…
Match the following Confucius proverbs from The Analects to the
description below.
_____1. "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."
_____2. "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance."
_____3. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
_____4. "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
A. You and Taylor Swift listen to the new One Direction song together. You think
that it is awful and don’t like the lyrics. However, she loves the beat and rhythm.
B. The “Golden Rule”. Don’t ask your best friend to give up a date with Liam Payne
just because you are madly in love with him if you would not do the same for your
friend.
C. When you are stuck on your math homework, you go during homeroom the next
morning to find Dr. Williams for help.
D. John tells you about how his dog died recently and how hurt he is. You feel bad for
him, but you can’t really understand his pain until the next month when your pet
dies too.
TAOISM
Another philosopher in ancient China, Laozi, taught about the Tao
(pronounced Dow). Tao means The Way (to happiness). Taoism
is not a religion. Taoism is a philosophy, a way of looking at life
and a way of thinking about things. Taoists believe if you look at
life and think about things in the right way, you'll be much
happier.
Laozi taught that a force known as the Tao permeated all living things. He told his
followers that the most important thing an individual could do is to reject the world, and
their desires for worldly possessions and power, and commune with nature, bringing one’s
self into a state of oneness with the Tao.
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Taoists believe it's very important to understand The Way Things Are. This does not
mean that there are not things we need to change about ourselves, but it's important to
recognize and trust our own Inner Nature, and discover who we are. In the story of "The
Ugly Duckling", when does the duckling stop feeling ugly? When he discovers he's a swan.
When he recognizes who he really is, a beautiful swan, he finds his way to happiness.
Here are three Taoist philosophy statements and three conversations from The House
at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. Can you match the Taoist philosophy to the conversation?
A. The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not.
B. A clever mind is not a heart.
C. There is more to knowing than just being correct.
Taoist
From The House at Pooh Corner
philosophy
"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully. "Yes," said Piglet. "Rabbit's
clever." "And he has Brain." "Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."
There was a long silence. "I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he
never understands anything."
"Lots of people talk to animals," said Pooh. "Maybe, but..." "Not very
many listen, though," he said. "That's the problem," he added.
Roo and Tigger were walking, and Tigger was talking about all the things
that Tiggers can do.... "I can swim," said Roo. "I fell into the river,
and I swimmed. Can Tiggers swim?" "Of course they can. Tiggers can
do everything." "Can they climb trees better than Pooh?" asked Roo,
stopping under the tallest Pine Tree, and looking up at it. "Climbing trees
is what they do best," said Tigger. "Much better than Poohs." And the
next thing they knew, they were stuck in the tallest pine tree.
Taoism Exit Slip/Notes:
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Philosophy
Confucianism
Taoism
Buddhism
Followers are
called…
Origin
Founder
Important
Writings
# of followers in
the world
(% and #)
Describe the
philosophy in one
sentence.
Important Values
Way to achieve
happiness
What do all three
philosophies
have in common?
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Chinese Philosophies Final Project
Proverbs can be found anywhere, even in songs! Think about what values are most important to a Confucian or Taoist.
Then try to think of a song you know that might express the same value in a good lyric.
Let’s see if the wisdom of ancient philosophers still influences us today!
1. Use your partner and BYOT to decide/find the following. Remember, there can be no repeats among partners, so
make sure your lyrics are approved!
Philosophy
Song Title
Artist
Lyric
Value Philosophy
and Lyric Share
2. On a separate piece of paper, write a good paragraph that answers the following question: “What philosophical
value does your lyric convey and how?” Your paragraph should have a topic sentence, two supporting ideas and
explanations, and a concluding sentence. I may ask you to type this paragraph if time permits. Refer to the
examples and ideas from class to submit the best product.
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