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Final Exa East Asian Philosophy May 1, 1. The Confucian conception of self is often described as broadly social rather than individual. Discuss the Confucian self. Who a I, according to the Confucians? The notion of self in Confucian thought is not a deep search of the inner being as represented by the search for self in western philosophy; instead, it is a concept described by ones rehfionship to the counity around the. To Confucius, one takes on any naes t, - a son, a father, a husband, a brother - which can also be described as alternate concepts of self depending on the role one is representing in the present oent. In order to flourish as a huan being and aintain harony and order in society, one ust fulfill these roles within the counity. He cafled this idea the rectification of naes, "Let the ruler be ruler, the inister inister, the father father, and the son son." (Analects, 12.11) 2. Why, according to Confucius, does the use of law to produce social order always represent a social failure? To Confucius, huans operate best in counity; therefore, 'T.z_"a ter used to describe the elaborate rituals, anners, and custos governing Chinese interaction, are _3 extreely iportant. However, true ritual observance requires a high degree of situational t adaptability. Therefore, any law regulating social order will represent social failure because it will andate one action in all situations and will not allow for the situational adaptability required. 3. Given Mencins' contention that huan nature is good, how does be account for oral failure? As described below, Mencius believes that there are four sprouts of goodness which will develop into virtues. However, just like a plant needs the tight physical environent, for a huan to develop orally, it needs the right environent of cultivation and nourishent. First, the essential physical needs of htans ust be cared for; once this basic level of physical care is covered, virtuous developent can proceed. If there is oral failure, then the developent process has been retarded. To illustrate this, Mencius describes a ountain spring. The natural tendency is for the water to follow gravity downwards. However, if daned in the ountains, then the water will not be able to follow gravity, uy,trxe,r,a 4. What are the four "sprouts" of goodness that Mencius identifies? What are the four virtues that develop fro these sprouts? Mencius believes that huan nature has innate tendencies towards good which be defines as "sprouts." These four sprouts, allowed to be cultivated through a physical and t' ethical environent beneficial to orality, will parallel the growth of a plant and develop into virtues. The heart of copassion will develop into the virtue of benevolence or ren. -1- f
The heart of deference will develop into ritual. The heart of disdain will develop into righteousness, and the heart of approval and disapproval will develop into ritual. 5. Xunzi clais that "huan nature is bad" (xing 'e). Soe early translations into English interpreted Xunzi's clai as indication that huan nature As_evil._ Discuss,,, i the probles and weaknesses of this reading of Xunzi. _ff_q.(f "_lf --fjtf A,,,- u Early interpretation of Xunzi's usage of the word "bad' are incorrect; instead, Xunzi's true intent of "Bad" can be ore closely associated with the absence of good. He describes a nature indifferent fro the beginning which ust be shaped and fored through anipulation, force, and iposition in order to be oral. This oral shaping will coe through the "wei" or deliberate effort as suggested by the ritual teachings of the sage kings. Xunzi addresses the perceived weakness of his arguent (Chapter twenty three, page 289) that the sage kings, who would innately have "bad" natures would be unable to create ritual to shape people's nature towards good. To counter this arguent, Xunzi suggests that a potter is able to create a pot, which is coposed of a substance not of his own nature. 6. Since our nature is "bad," where, according to Xunzi, does orality coe fro? According to Xunzi, huan nature as defined by the Chinese word '73" eans indifferent to consequences, arbitrary, or conducive to disorder. This indifferent nature is born with a fondness for profit and selfish desires which cause conflict between persons. Because of this, the sage kings created orality through ritual in order to optiize desire satisfaction. Ritual represents the release of eotion, a raw aterial that can becoe good. Morality is a anipulation, force or iposition such as bending wood or straightening etal. It involves the reshaping. Redirecting, and transforing of the huan nature. The total transforation when one desires orality for its intrinsic value. 7. What, according to Mozi, does the benevolent person seek to achieve in his or her actions? By what three criteria does such a person evaluate a proposed course of action? According to Mozi, a benevolent person ipartially seeks to care for other states, cities, and failies with the sae care that he has for his own. Each ipartial action should either produce the enrichent of people or the state, an increase in the population, or the t_ prootion of order. To evaluate an action, a person will look first at the precedent of the sage kings. Second, such a person would evaluate the evidence produced by the senses or testiony that is based on the senses. After this, the final evaluation is based on the application of effects of the assertion on events in the world which should produce ipartial care and universal love instead of serving ones own interest. 8. Laozi uses the iage of water to denote the species of power he advocates (Laozi, Chapters 8 and 78). Discuss this iage and the concept of power it is eant to evoke. Laozi equates water with the highest good. Throughout chapters 8 and 78, he attaches qualities to water which suggest the way a person should live and fro those actions, the type of power that one should yield. These physical qualities include - little -2- \
discriination between who or what it nourishes, following a natural course or flow such as gravity, flexibility and adaptability to physical circustances, and persistence and patience to produce lasting results. This is eant to evoke a very natural, non confrontational course of action and power that will eventually win and doinate due to it,,_,_,_dw 9. Zhuangzi's anner of expressing his philosophical insights is often--7. playful and " huorous. What is the philosophical significance ofthis anner? Zhuangzi uses huorous, and playful stories to draw one away fro serious discussion and highlight _. The philosophical reasoning behind this is that 1 he is skeptical of the huan's ability to learn uch about itself though thinking or words. In order to stretch the huan beyond its cofortable ways of operation, Zhuangzi goes out of the way to defy understanding and flaunt societal prejudices. Through this approach, he challenges entrenched beliefs and, through his actions, deonstrates a freedo fro convention. 10. Briefly explain the Four Noble Truths of Buddhis. (You need not list each ite on the Eighffold Path, but should ai to represent the general logic of it) While sitting under a tree, Buddha experiences enlightenent about Four Noble Troths. The first is the truth of suffering known as dukkha which generally coes through aging, illness, death, or any other suffering generally caused by the changing of hfe's circustances. The second noble truth is the conditioned arousal of suffering caused by thirst or craving; loss of things desired is inevitable and will cause suffering. The third noble v truth is that suffering is not necessary and can be eliinated through Nirvana. The forth noble truth is the eightfold path which helps eliinate suffering. This path starts with wisdo in order to see things as they are, continues with conduct in order to act in the right way, and finishes off with the ental discipline. 11. The onk Nagasena refers to his nae as being but "a way of counting." What does he ean by this? Essentially, Nasgasena says, y friends call e Nagasena, and y parents gave e the nae. However, what that naes is does not atter. It is only a ter or eans of counting the hair on the head, the brain in the head, the for, the sensation, and the consciousness that akes up one person. To better explain this, he copares hiself to a chariot which is ade up of the pole, axle, wheels, body, and banner. There is no self to be found; only a nae which is a way of counting the presence of the other aspects of the body. 12. In general, Buddhists identify two levels of truth. Explain these levels and the purpose served by the distinction between the. To Buddhists, there is Mundane truth and Ultiate Truth. Mundane truth concerns _" the phenoenal world dependently existing. While Ultiate truth rests on the eptiness of t the phenoenal world and self. The Buddhists use this to identify between practical truths on this earth and the truths of reality concerning enlightenent. 1-3- 7----
.4 13. Tian tai Buddhis collapses any strong distinction between nirvana and the phenoenal world. Given this, how does the school understand nirvana? In Tian tai Buddhis, Nirvana is the phenoenal world and the phenoenal world is nirvana. The only difference between the two is in the attitude of the individual. With this theology, it is understood that everyone has a budda nature as well as soe evil within the. In order to experience Nirvana, one ust recalibrate their views of ordinary and actively attept to overcoe siple acceptance of appearances. Interaction with the phenoenal world is preserved as insight into the nouenal world. 14. Explain the golden lion analogy used by Hua Yan Buddhis. When looking at a lion, there are 6 different ways of viewing it or six aspects in harony. The first is though totality or the lion as a whole. Second is individuality which looks at each individual part of the lion. Third is siilarity - looking at all parts as part of the sae lion. Fourth, one can see where each part differs fro another. The fifth way of t viewing a lion is through the integration of all the parts to see how the lion coes together. Sixth, one can see through disintegration or how the hon breaks down into individual parts: i [...I d..7-.-ffla Hua Yan explains these six aspects as an a.naology to huans viewing tl_ouenal worl It could be easy to iss because of all the ways of seeing things. J 15. Briefly explain why Hui neng's poe was alleged to be superior to Shenxiu's. Hung-jen essentially sent out a call for poes fro the disciples in order to see which an had the essence of ind to becoe the Sixth Patriarch. Shen-hsiu, the teacher of the other onks, wrote a verse on the wall of the south corridor at idnight without anyone knowing. It ephasized a dualistic assuption of ind and body or a passive instead of watchful ind. He also ephasized editation and that effort constantly appliedv produces spiritual progress. However, later, Hui neng, a onk with less seniority, writes another poe that is superior. It avoids distinctions by denying any kind of substantial difference between ind and no ind; pure and defiled; or original and acquired. It consuls against any attachent and ephasizes that the world is not in conflict with spiritual ais. 16. One faous Zen forulation clais that one should: "Just act ordinary, without trying to do anything particular. Move your bowels, piss, get dressed, eat your rice, and if you get tired, then lay down." Explain this instruction "_ " The quote above would probably be ost closely associated with the...q.q._.awbranchof Buddhis which is known for its direct and experiential way of learning. To the, no extra actions as required by the Hua Yen or Tian tai branches of Buddhis, and, in fact, a Chan l Buddhist would believe that they were asking questions that do not edify. This is a rejection of the analytical which suggests that the nature of enlightenent is precipitous.
17. What, according to Zen doctrine, is the difference between a) thinldng, b) not thinking, and c) without thinking? Thinking is a positional attitude. It allows you to affir or negate and conceptualize objects with the intent of weighing and accessing. Not thinking is the negation of a consideration - a positional attitude of negating a certain thing. To be without thinking v... involves a non positional attitude which neither affirs nor negates. It allows a pure presence of things as they are. In any ways, this can be likened to the action of a child or a tired body after a hard work out. 18. Zen Buddhis soeties locates spiritual value in specific huan activities. Describe the possibility for spiritual benefit in one of the following: 1) cooking or 2) saurai swordsanship. The position of the Tenzo, the head cook of a onastery, should be held by a senior disciple with aspiration for enlightenent. This is because each practice of a Tenzo, treated appropriately, can lead to enlightenent and spread into other areas of hfe. For instance, one ai of Zen Buddhis is attentiveness. A tenzo sharpens this aspect of his ind through eticulously separating out rice, having a the eals perfectly tied to be served ' fresh at ealties, having a perfect awareness of all activities and onks present in the onastery, and a knowledge of their eating habits. Because of these daily activities, a Tenzo has uniquely developed this quality of an enlightened person. 19. Briefly explain the two types of learning identified by Zhu Xi. Zhu Xi identifies two types of learning - learning for oral iproveent (for one's own sake) or learning for the sake of others in order to win acclai and position. The second type of learning has the distinctive feature of an aesthetic ephasis on style because t... of care for the judgents of others. This results in an attept to provide profundity in order to ipress an audience and a use of style that distracts the audience fro actual issues of content. The second syste results in fierce copetition which counters true learning. 20. Describe the role of li (principle) in learning, according to Zhu Xi. Zhu Xi says that the universe is ade up of two things: the forless (li) and the fored (qi). Li is a principle: supree natural law and deterines the patterns of all created things. This cobines with the fored, aterial force, or energy known as qi in order to J produce atter. To Zhu Xi, h as anifested in huan nature, is perfect. Qi brings the iperfections into the body. Learning, through die study of principles and etaphysics, can restore an to ental perfection and is the only way to becoe a sage. Learning restores h as it should be through zhi, the focus of intentions. 21. Why is Sunzi skeptical of coanders with a strong sense of personal honor? The Chinese ideal of an ary focuses around the regiented visual oveents of a ass. Ideally, all these en would be otivated by an ipersonal unselfishness reinforced by kinship ties and achieve victory through cleverness, not strength. A Chinese hero is ore -5-
along the lines of an older, ore ature, socially engaged an with the likeness of a sage. In a coander, this represents the ind behind the action. Personal honor is not associated with this archetype of leader Sunzi desires; instead, it could only lead to poor coanding due to an inability to step back and evaluate a situation with the objectiveness needed. A coander bound by honor to legitiate strategies will have a certain unwillingness to be deceitful through a surprise attack. 22. Sunzi endorses surprise ethods in the conduct of war. What worry do those who value the straightforward have about this endorseent? Sunzi thinks that in war a coander should attept to locate the ost efficient eans of iniizing waste and cost. Because straightforward action is predictable, visible, and anticipated, it is not the ost efficient way to end a war. Those who value a straightforward approach would argue that deviance is not the way to live life. The farther one goes towards deviance, the harder it is to coe back to order and huan sohdarity. A v ' true coander will be thinking about a better peace which ust coe about through huan solidarity. If too uch deviance occurs during fighting, this will not be attainable. 23. Sunzi clais he can discern before a battle begins which side will win. How can he know? Sunzi ais for prior preparation and strategy in order to win. He says in the last verse of book three that when there is full intelligence and understanding of the situation of both oneself and the eney, the there is no unforeseen risk in any battle. Right after this verse coes book 4 which is about control in strategy, in operations, and on the control of t superiority in the theater of war. He says that one can create undefeatablilty and then wait for the eney's defeatability. So, if one has full knowledge of theselves and control of the situation, then I suppose they will be able to discern 24. What does a saurai's hygiene and dress have to do with his skill as a saurai? A key eleent in the saurai identity is lived discipline. This extends into every area of conduct including everyday atters such as dress and hygiene. Slacking on the care of dress and hygiene will be like a pebble thrown in a pond with any tippling effects. Therefore, if a saurai begins to let go of the discipline of hygiene and dress, this will transfer into the lacking discipline to pracuce and the skill 25. In what way is a saurai sybolically siilar to a cherry blosso? A saurai has the sae quality of delicacy as cherry blosso. A saurai, which soe ay view the picture of strength, represents the fragility of the huan condition because it reaches its prie and purpose in death. To try to preserve a saurai and his ways violates hi ore, just as with a cherry blosso, trying to preserve it will ruin its beauty. As V,_ well, there is a inial quality that ephasizes a sense of perforance just like a cherry blosso has a inial quality of blooing and being. " J