'Ancient Chinese Philosophy: How to Live Life Essay\r'

'How do I cost my vogues? Since the early set aroundnings of social club flock stick always been concerned with our behavior in public and conduct towards separates: how should I behave towards my p bents, how should I treat my friends, and in what way burn I best show my see for the gods? Religion was the number 1 relieve virtuosoself of clean codification; the writers would expose their inclinations roughly truth and morality, and reinforce their opinions with omnipotent deities who would, in a way, sc ar rec all in allrs into acting accordingly.\r\nAs society began to assume and powerful empires began to expand religion was no long-dated a priority. M all of the rituals necessary to appease the unlike gods were impractical. Furtherto a greater extent, skeptics and well-nigh other logical thinkers began to question their existence. However, moral work out static extremityed to be maintained†particularly in the growing empiresâ€and stack began sear ching for other forms of guidance. Moral philosophy most likely lay down for this reason; to ration completelyy investigate the truths and principles of noesis, behavior and conduct. more or less the fifth century B.\r\nC. in China (which today is known for strict guidelines regarding respect and obedience) two enormous philosophers, Confucius and Lao Tzu emerged who devoted their pull through with(predicate)s to explaining how to live feeling virtuously, and righteously. though the two philosophers differ extremely in the presentations of their images, and the thoughts themselves, unitedly they create a full and detailed moral code. Confucius, the earlier of the two philosophers, (died in 497 B. C. ) analyzes various passing(a) situations and suggests how one and only(a) should behave in them in The Analects.\r\nThe sea captain, as his pupils call him, repeatedly mentions the importance of behaving like a valet de chambre. besides what exactly does this entail? What does one need to do to be considered a valet? in that respect be many virtues that Confucius finds essential to being a piece, the most critical one being charity, which he discusses primarily in the first four books. charity in the eyes of The Master, however, is very opposite from our flow perception; we see it as kindness and kind-heartedness while Confucius evidently sees it as approximatelything much greater.\r\nFor us today benevolence can be seen in simple acts of compassion. For example, a common act of benevolence is putting your extra change into the plastic cupful of a homeless someone in working capital Squ be Park. I see a merciful professor as one who is respectful of his students’ other responsibilities and gives them ample time to prepare their assignments. To Confucius, this would non be enough; he describes benevolence as a quality that is very difficult to achieve; apparently, it is something that does non sluice intromit care appealing to many.\r\nAccording to The Master, it encompasses our set, loyalty, pride, and honesty, and it manifests itself in our relationships with friends, parents, and superiors†all one who is perfect in all these categories can be considered benevolent, and therefore a gentlemen. The idea that Confucius describes as most vital to achieving the status of gentlemen is filial piety, the reverence for ones parents. The virtuous pip-squeak would give their parents no other cause for anxiety than illness, The Master says.\r\nHe essential never trudge too furthest from their â€Å"fields,” and if he does, he essentialiness always aim his whereabtaboos known. To serve one’s parents to the fullest, he must also follow their instructions (or advice) exactly, even if they powerfulness not be beneficial or even reliable for his well-being. This must be through without wondering(a) them. He can try to â€Å"dissuade” his parents on to a more righteous track if i t is done subtly and respectfully, yet cannot blatantly point out mistakes in his parents’ suggestions. It does not stop there; the pip-squeak must cover up any blunders the parents fix from the eyes of the world.\r\nWhether Confucius puts filial piety on a higher level than law is un decease, and he whitethorn not have considered extreme examples. But I am. If your take, for example, would murder someone, should you take the Euthyphro approach of bringing him to undecomposedice, or should you establish an accomplice in his discourtesy by tampering with evidence, or perhaps burying the personify? I doubt that any fair gentleman would ever involve himself in a crime so grave under any circumstances. When the parents begin to get on the child should take note of it. The ancient age of your parent’s should bring you anxiety, The Master suggests.\r\nIt is obvious that at some point the responsibilities of the parents and children rear; during childhood it is ch ildren who bring try to their parents (or in the illustration of perfect children, don’t), and during adulthood it is parents, and their health, who should bring stress to the children. Confucius never completely mentions scarce implies that as the parents’ age advances the child must go for changes in his life to accommodate his parents. peradventure, in today’s society that would mean to spend more time with them when they incommode and monitor their health more often than onwards.\r\nThe child’s obligations do not end during the animation of the parents; to be a estimable son you must live with reverence towards your parents even after their deaths. one and only(a) way to do this is to not change his father’s â€Å"ways” for three years. Another is to present their spirits with offerings and sacrifices. Some of these ideas, however, leave the boundaries of respect and fall towards expressions of have a go at it. You are expect ed to feel anxious when they are not in peachy health, but that can only be felt if you truly love them. And how can anyone oversee whether you are presenting their spirits with offerings?\r\nYou must be truly devoted and love them to maintain respecting them even after they are dead (or safe very fearful of their spirits). It appears that Confucius never draws a clear line surrounded by respect and love; possibly in his view one cannot exist without the other. The respect and frighten of parents from an early age shapes the child into a polite and well-rounded adult, one who is not too arrogant and knows his place in society. Whatever filial piety is, it is clear that it is only a minor(ip) aspect of benevolence an insufficient virtue on the road to becoming a gentleman.\r\nBut before we can even explore what qualities you need to be a gentleman, we must ask what The Master mover when he says â€Å"gentleman. ” There is certainly some exaltedism and imagination inv olved in his construction of the gentleman. In a way, the gentleman is a perfect and im doable feat that everyone should strive for. Confucius advocated for respect of tradition, culture and knowledge; without showing interest in these aspects of society, all apprehend of becoming a gentleman is lost. A gentleman must respect and live by the traditions, but at the same time distinguish himself from everyone close to him.\r\nthough Confucius advises against questioning what has already been explained and accomplished. So how does he propose to become better? His analects are somewhat contradictory: how do you have any voice if you cannot speak out against old tradition, or create new ones? At the same time, the lofty man should learn from the people around him and be open to criticism. In a society which was so concerned with accordance and conformity, however, his ideas seem reasonable. By following(a) these traditions, you are being polite and respectful, obviously, important qualities.\r\nPerhaps his greatest explanation of the qualities necessary to be a gentleman comes in Book V, where he describes the qualities that make Tzu-ch’an a gentleman, â€Å"He was respectful in the manner he conducted himself; he was reverent in the portion of his lord; in caring for the common people, he was generous and, in employing their services, he was just. ” To be a gentleman, you must have compassion and generosity, qualities that I believe every human has innately; therefore, it would be feasible for anyone to be a gentleman if they can govern those traits.\r\nIn his description of Tzu-ch’an it appears that he had some form of authority over others, possibly a duke or a nobleman in China. It is quite possible that his descriptions of a gentleman aim to describe the ideal normal. Indeed, all of the qualities he portrays throughout The Analects are vital in a successful ruler: leading by action, not by boy (avoidance of hypocrisy), fairness and justice to subordinates, acting reasonably, and using good judgment. Confucius’ teachings are very practical not only to the common man, but to the ruler as well.\r\nIt is no surprise that this ancient text is still use by today’s societies as guidelines for good leaders. Though it is unclear what exactly a gentleman is, there is an explicit moral code that Confucius believes we should live by. The philosophy recounted in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, on the other hand, is far less practical, in my opinion. His teachings are more unearthly and are harder to live by because of their vagueness and ambiguity. He created the idea of â€Å"Tao,” which is more than just a way of life, it’s even more than life itselfâ€it is everything!\r\nHeaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and all other complemental opposites are Tao. It is likely that by Tao, Lao Tzu is referring to the mankind and everything it engulfs, as he is known to have theorized about the flow o f nature. Lao Tzu explains how Tao should be embraced. His philosophy creates a sense of unity among humans, and encourages them to become one with their surroundings. But there are a few ideas which he must not have fully vox populi through. Is Tao really everything? Everything includes the good and the bad, and Tao is depict as all good.\r\nFurthermore, there should be no desire to stray from Tao because of its idealism. But is it even possible to stray from Tao if it is everything? Evidently, Tao itself is an idea too complex and difficult for most people to understand, at least for me it is. For this reason (and maybe others as well), Lao Tzu created Te, which is more concrete than Taoâ€it is the manifestation of Tao, the person walking on the path, rather than the actual path. with his use of Te, Lao Tzu is still able to create some moral code.\r\nBy today’s standards, Lao Tzu’s philosophy is in some ways outdated and obsolete. He values inaction, and feel s that everyone should be satisfied with what they know and have. To some this may seem like lack of ambition; how can a philosopher possibly be advising against ambition? But I find his advice to be pointing out the faults of over-ambition, and possibly greed. As with everything, there should be harmony, and an equal balance between ambition and satisfaction with the status quo.\r\nThis is a sound recording suggestion because through out history we have seen overachievers fall repeatedly: Alexander the Great and his empire, the romish Empire, the infamous Hitler and his empire as well. Maybe this is not what he intended at all; maybe he meant that lack of action is better than the unlawful action. If the action we make go out steer us besides from the end of Tao, then it may be wiser to not act at all. Or perhaps, through inaction one can reflect and further his spirituality, and by doing so take one spirit closer to Tao.\r\nMaybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu chose to leave Taoism so open-endedâ€so that the reader could interpret Tao in his own wayâ€one person’s path may be radically different from another’s. Though his value of inaction may not make sense to the ultramodern eye, his idea of simplicity and potentiality resonate strongly with us. He compares potentiality to an uncut piece of wood. There are so many possible directions we can take with that single piece of woodâ€it can become anything! He suggests that a person remain this way, maintaining whiteness and openness to new experiences.\r\nNo matter what we may have seen or felt in the past, we should not be biased towards what the future holds. This is not easy, but is a desirable trait, and probably must be attained to achieve Tao. He also stresses the values of simplicity, which is completely necessary to follow the path. How can one possibly see the path, if he is distracted by what he does not need? Often, it is our embrace of person-to-person possessions and wealth that hinder us from true expression and meditation. Maybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu speaks out against ambition; because you will never see truth if you are blind by desires.\r\nIt is likely that Lao Tzu was in some way associated with Confucius, as there is visible stoop Lao Tzu in Analects and influence of Confucius in Tao Te Ching. Confucius mentions â€Å"the Way” numerous times, but never explains what it means. Lao Tzu mentions benevolence and vaguely describes what a good ruler is, â€Å"a shadowy presence to his subjects. ” two place high importance on be within society’s norms, Confucius through his awe of traditions, and Lao Tzu through his inaction. Both agree that one should live by their word, and that honesty, integrity, and consideration for others desires are important.\r\nOn their own, neither of the texts adequately describes a fulfilling way of life; together, with Confucius addressing practical matters and Lao Tzu foc using on the spiritual ones, a complete and detailed moral code is constructed. The way of life that these two ancient philosophers described so centuries ago still holds strong today. Though they are difficult to follow with all the temptations of modern society, and the vices of modern man, every one of us still strives to be a gentleman on the path of Tao.\r\n'