Confucianism Lesson 4 Ways of Thinking and Living

Confucianism Lesson 4: Ways of Thinking and Living in China

Confucius

Chinese character for Confucianism (pronounced Rú) Draw into your book

Confucius’s teachings are all about good relationships He helped to promote the importance of strong families, building on the ancient practice of ancestor worship For thousands of years, Chinese society has been built on the family as a stable unit, often with several generations living under one roof - with respect and obligations flowing from young to old.

Strong family loyalty Honouring ancestors Respect of elders by their children Respect of husbands by their wives. Do you think these values are important in the UK today? Could they be modernised? Think Pair Share with a partner. Then Pairs Share

Family values in China today 2500 years after Confucius, family values are still an important part of life in modern China. However, as China’s population has become more mobile, and moved from the countryside to towns, fewer families live in multigenerational households (although still over 50% do). Where do your grandparents live? Does anyone in the class live in a multigenerational setting?

Confucius lived at a time of crisis and war in China. He promoted values that he believed would produce a stable and peaceful society • 仁 • � • 礼 • 智 • 信 • 孝 rén yì lǐ zhì xìn xiào doing good doing right doing properly doing wisely being trustworthy being respectful Try to learn these six values with your partner.

Advice to a king Confucius wrote his advice as though he was talking to a king or other ruler. It was meant as a guide to good government. His ideas have been at the centre of the way China has seen itself over the past 2500 years - for this reason, he is one of the most influential people in history

Copy these Confucian values into your books: 仁 � 礼 rén doing good yì doing right lǐ doing properly

Copy these Confucian values into your books: 智 信 孝 zhì doing wisely xìn being trustworthy xiào being respectful

Responsibility flows two ways Confucius saw good relationships as a two-way process. Not only did the subject have a duty to his master, the master had an equal duty of care towards his subjects. Can you think of other relationships where you and someone else have responsibilities?

Confucius supported what has become known as “The Golden Rule” Do to others as you would have them do to you What does this mean? As: Try to paraphrase The Golden Rule in simple language Bs: Develop or repeat your partner’s phrasing - or try your own

All the main religions and ancient societies have their own version of the Golden Rule - Ancient Egypt: That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another. - Ancient Greece: What you do not want to happen to you, do not do it yourself either. - Ancient Rome: Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you (speaking about treatment of slaves). - Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. - Christianity: Do to others what you would want them to do to you. - Islam: Wish for your brother, what you wish for yourself. - Hinduism: One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self.

Why do you think the same idea has been developed in different societies and in different religions? Paraphrase passport activity

Independent work: Explain “The Golden Rule” in your own words. Say why you think there is a version of the Golden Rule in almost every society and religion

Confucius is world famous for his thoughtprovoking (and many believe, wise) sayings • Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. • A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake. • It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. • To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. • When you have faults, do be afraid to abandon them. • Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. • Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude. • A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.

Another Confucian saying runs as follows…. “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must look after our personal life; and to look after our personal life, we must first set our hearts right. ” What do you think it means?

Daoism and Confucianism - in harmony Daoism and Confucianism can be seen to support one another: • Daoism addresses how to be a good person in yourself, in harmony with nature • Confucianism addresses how to act well towards others, in harmony with society.