搜索
Chapter1AGeneralIntroductiontoChineseCultureWordsandExpressions:thedescendantsofYanandHuang炎黄子孙porcelain瓷器TheappellationofChinaChinesehistorybeganwithtwolegendaryfigures—EmperorHuangandEmperorYan,who,togetherwiththeirtribes,inhabitedthedrainageareaalongthemiddlereaches（中游）oftheYellowRiver.BythetimeofXiaDynasty,aftercenturiesoflivingsidebyside,thesetwotribeshadgraduallymergedinto（合并，融合）one.Consequently,theChinesepeopleusuallycallthemselves“thedescendantsofYanandHuang”.Peopleatthattimebelievedthatthelandtheylivedonwasthecenteroftheworld,andcalledtheirstatetheMiddleKingdom(中国),thusgivingChinaitscountryname.Chinaistheappellationofourcountrygivenbyforeigners.TheporcelainchinaisthetransliterationoftheplacenameChangnan(昌南),whichwastheoldnameforJingdezhen（景德镇）.TheporcelainmadeinChangnanwassmoothandbright,andearnedanothernameofartificialjade.ItbecamefamousbothhomeandabroadandwasexportedtoEuropeinlargequantities.InEurope,peopleregardedChangnanporcelainassomethingpreciousanddelicateandwouldtakeprideinpossessingone.Astimepassed,peopleinEuropeforgotthemeaningofChangnanandswitchedtheoriginalmeaningofporcelainoftheword“china”totheplaceofitsorigin.Chapter2ChinesePhilosophyandReligionPart1ChineseThoughtsandPhilosophyWordsandExpressions:Confucianism儒家Taoism道家TheAnalects《论语》benevolence仁慈，善行ritual礼制，仪式，惯例filialpiety孝，孝心TheDevelopmentofAncientChinesePhilosophyThephilosophyinPre-Qintimes(先秦子学)TheorthodoxphilosophyduringtheHanDynasty(两汉经学)MetaphysicsduringtheWeiandJindynasties(魏晋玄学)ThebuddhistphilosophyduringtheSuiandTangdynasties(隋唐佛学)Neo-confucianisminSongandMingdynasties(宋明理学)ApplicationphilosophyintheMingandQingdynasties(明清实学)ThephilosophyinPre-Qintimes(先秦子学)ThephilosophyinPre-Qintimeswasmarkedbytheemergenceofvariousancientphilosophicalviews.ThemostinfluentialschoolswereConfucianism(儒家),Taoism(道家),Mohism(墨家)andLegalism(法家)1.ConfucianismConfucianismisaschoolofthoughtrepresentedbyConfuciusandMencius.ConfucianismhasinfluencedtheChineseforthousandsofyearsandisdeeplyrootedinChineseculture.Itisanintegrationofintellectual,political,andreligioustraditionwiththefocusontheindividualmoralityandethicsindailylifeandtheproperexerciseofpoliticalpower.WhoisConfucius?Familyname:Kong;Givenname:Qiu;courtesyname:ZhongniHeisagreatthinker,aneducator,astatesman,aphilosopher,thefounderoftheConfucianschoolandConfucianism.ThelandmarkofConfucianismistheAnalects,whichwaswrittenbyhisdisciplesafterhisdeath.ThecoreofConfucius’sphilosophyaretheconceptsofRen(benevolence)Ren(仁):Confuciusdefinesitas“Airen”(爱人），thatis,toloveothers.TheChinesecharacter“仁”（benevolence)consistsof“aperson（人）”ontheleftand“two(二)”ontherightindicatingtherelationshipbetweenpeople.Li(ritual)Li（ritual-礼）referstotherulesofhumanconductandmoralnormssuchaspoliteness,courtesy,propriety,properetiquetteandgoodmannersrangingfromspeechandbehaviortotheperformanceofritualswhichareusuallycodifiedandtreatedasanall-embracingsystemofsocialnorms.Xiao(filialpiety)Xiao(孝）referstothefilialpiety,whichwasregardedasoneofthegreatestofvirtuesinChinesetradition,denotingtherespectandobediencethatthechildrenshouldshowtotheirparents.Zhong(loyalty)Zhong(loyalty-忠）isagreatvirtue,whichemphasizestheobligationsanddutiestothesuperior,tofriends,family,andspouse.2.TaoismFoundedbyLaoZiandZhuangZi,theschooladvocatesthedoctrinethattheDaoisthecourse,theprinciple,thesubstance,andthestandardofallthings,towhichallofthemmustconform.BasedontheworkofDaoDeJing,Taoismpromotesthebeliefthatapersonshouldliveasimplelife,nottostriveforwealth,fameorpower,whichwillonlygiveoneworriesandtrouble.Theschoolfavoursthepoliticalprincipleof“achievinggoodgovernmentthroughnon-action”(无为而治)3.MohismBaseontheteachingofMozi,theschoolcherishesuniversallovewhichstatesthatifallthepeopleintheworldlovedoneanother,therewillbenohatred,calamities,andhostilities.Inpoliticsandethics,Mohismproposeshonoringvirtuouspeople,opposingfatalism(宿命论)andaggressivewars,andupholdingthriftiness(节俭).4.LegalismLegalism,begunbyHanfeizi,espouses(主张)layingdownlawstounifythethoughtofpeople,promotingagriculturetoachieveaffluence(富裕),waging(进行)warstogainstrengthandpower,andestablishingasystemofbureaucracy(官僚制度).TheorthodoxphilosophyduringtheHanDynasty(两汉经学)IntheHanDynasty,EmperorWudiinstitutedthecampaignof“banningallschoolsofthoughtexceptConfucianism(罢黜百家，独尊儒术)”.HechoseofficialsfromthosewhoweresteepedinConfucianismonly.Consequently,ConfucianismbecameanorthodoxschoolthatservedastheideologicalfoundationofthefeudalrulethroughoutthedynastiesinChina.TraditionalChineseethicsTraditionalChineseethicsincludesbothgoodandbadelements.SomereflectthehighstandardofmoralpursuitoftheChinesepeople,whileothersseemlessrelevantinmodernsociety.Forexample,thethreeobediencesandfourvirtues(三从四德)andthethreebasicrulesandfiveconstantvirtues(三纲五常)havelongbeenabandonedbytheChinesepeople.Thetraditionalidealofawomanisthatsheisadependantbeingwhosebehaviorisgovernedby“threeobediences”(tofatherbeforemarriage,tohusbandaftermarriage,andtosonafterbecomingawidow:未嫁从父,既嫁从夫,夫死从子)andfour“virtues”(morality,properspeech,modestmanne