CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES

BUDDISM

ORIGINS:

• Began in India
• Incorporated much of Hinduism in its practice

FOUNDERS:

• Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian prince
• Reared in a lifestyle of luxury and comfort
• Gautama left his city and wandered through the land
• He experienced the pain, suffering, grief and sickness experienced by all mankind

PRINCIPLES:

• Desire is the cause of suffering and the way to end suffering is to end desire
• Buddhismdoes teach the concept of reincarnation
• Buddhism does not hold to a belief in a deity

DIFFUSION:

• Spread to Southeast Asia and to East Asia
• Especially during the Maurya Empire, under Ashoka, and the Gupta Empire where it became very prominent
• It is a religion that actively seeks to convert others

CONFUCIANISM

ORIGINS:

• China during the Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
• Confucius spoke of returning to the moral standards of the ancients

FOUNDERS:

• Kung Fu-Tzu

PRINCIPLES:

• It is not a religion but rather is a ethical code dealing with the moral character
• Primary goals are order, harmony, peace, and happiness on Earth
• The most important principles deal with the standard of conduct that controls social actions
• This is seen with 5 relationships:1. Parent-child 2. Husband-child 3. Elder sibling-younger sibling
• 4. Elder friend-younger friend 5. Ruler-subject

DIFFUSION:

• Spread by his followers after the death of Confucius as they obtained positions in government
• Ideals eventually formed the basis for the civil service exam in China
• Principles of Confucius became the foundation of Chinese education