There has been much talk about various issues in the Grand Secretariat. The issues range from the Emperor’s virtue to the issue of succession and finally to eunuchs. The Emperor is a just and virtuous man who is full of ren. An analects depicting the Master’s character describes the Emperor, “The Master was warm, yet severe; awesome, yet never harsh; reverent, yet calm.” With this being the Emperor’s character who would dare question his virtue? Did he punish those who dare disobey him, no instead he offered up a chance for self-betterment, is this not virtue? If any members still question the Emperor’s virtue, I offer up this Confucius quote as clarification, “The Master said, ‘…there are few who recognize virtue.’ If very few recognize …show more content…
On the son’s character who knows better than the father? If the son is not worthy of a certain position, should not the father know this, and is it not the father’s duty to raise up the worthy? The Emperor should be able to choose who he pleases to be heir-apparent. Fellow members of the Grand Secretariat if you are concerned about the Mandate of Heaven if the first son of the Emperor is not designated heir-apparent, remember, “The Master said, Only after I returned to Lu from Wei did the court odes and sacrificial hymns find their proper places.” What Confucius meant was that only after he assigns the songs their ceremonies were the songs used according to li. Therefore, it is not until the Emperor chooses whom he wants to be his heir that the position will be in accordance with li. While music and ceremonies are important to li, they are not the same as the future emperor of our …show more content…
This critic claims that eunuchs are uneducated and not suitable the positions they hold. This is in fact untrue, eunuchs are highly educated and any elevated position they hold in the government was earned because the eunuchs qualified for them. A majority graduated from the Inner Palace School and their tutors were often the Han-lin Academy’s best talent. In fact, the eunuchs were “given a classical education in no way different from that of the Bureaucrats.” “The Master said: Those of crafty words and ingratiating expression are rarely ren.” While the anonymous critic’s words are not crafty, his actions are and just as it is not ren to have crafty words, it is also not ren to have crafty actions. By lacking to own up to this anonymous and false criticisms of eunuchs, his actions lacked ren to have made him less
Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for a Woman around the end of the first century C.E. as social guide for (her daughters and other) women of Han society (Bulliet 167). Because Zhao aimed to educate women on their responsibilities and required attributes, one is left questioning what the existing attitudes and roles of women were to start with. Surprisingly, their positions were not automatically fixed at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Ban Zhao’s own status as an educated woman of high social rank exemplifies the “reality [that] a woman’s status depended on her “location” within various social institutions’ (167). This meant that women had different privileges and opportunities depending on their economic, social, or political background. Wealthier noble women would likely have access to an education and may have even been able to wield certain political power (167). Nevertheless, women relinquished this power within the family hierarchy to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Despite her own elevated social status, Ban Zhao still considered herself an “unworthy writer”, “unsophisticated”, “unenlightened’, “unintelligent”, and a frequent disgrace to her and her husband’s family (Zhao). Social custom was not, however, the only driving force behind Zhao’s desire to guide women towards proper behavior.
Confucius was a philosopher, political intellect and an educator whose philosophies have significantly prejudiced not only the Chinese principles but the entire world evolution. He lived through the “Spring” and “Autumn” epoch of Chinese history, when east central China was separated over a dozen fighting states. The inordinate ailment and grief he saw swayed his political thoughts, which highlighted command, grading and the rule of a compassionate self-governing state.
Living in the white world of America was difficult during the time of war; the Asians were tormented by the way they had to present themselves. In history, some people were afraid to stand up for what they thought was right. There were also some courageous people who stood against discrimination and forced it into the public's eye. For instance, Rosa Parks was a dark colored woman who stood against the bus rules by refusing to give up her seat to a white man. By doing this act of bravery she was arrested for not abiding by the “white” laws. On the other hand, some groups like the KKK were in agreement that racial profiling was okay because the “white” image was “supreme” back then. In her novel, When the Emperor was Divine, Otsuka uses racial
The story of Fan Jin reveals the difficulty of social mobility. By depicting Fan’s twenty-four-year in taking the basic examination and his personal poverty, the author indicates how hard it can be for a low-level people to achieve his success. Additionally, the description of people around Fan Jin vividly demonstrates the contempt for people who are without power and wealthy and the adulation to people who are with wealth and political rights. Last, but not least, Wu obtains a strong desire to irony the imperial examination system. Therefore, he describes the mental disorder of Fan Jin in order to depict the nature of the examination – to let people have more knowledge or to let people have psychiatry- and the content of exanimation in order to reveal the useless of the personnel selection
The Res Gestae Divi Augustus (‘The Deeds of the Divine Augustus’), also known simply as the Res Gestae was a catalogue of the achievements Augustus had made during his life, specifically those that had an obvious positive impact on the Roman people. It was written in 13-14AD (E.S. Ramage, 1987) and presented to the Vestal Virgins alongside Augustus’ will upon his death in 14AD (M.C. Howatson, 1937). The biography, which was carved into bronze pillars outside of Augustus’ mausoleum (M.C. Howatson, 1937), is split into 35 sections; each recognizing a separate part of Augustus’ excellence. The fifteenth, which will be discussed in this commentary, describes the notable largesses donated to the Roman people by Augustus throughout his
War and political strife will always leave a mark, no matter who, what, or where it makes contact with. In the novel, “When the Emperor was Divine”, the family depicted were heavily affected by Executive Order 9066 and the prejudice of Japanese-Americans, and were sent to internment camps for the remainder of the war. When they were finally released from their dreadful camp, their lives had profoundly changed, and their situation became something that could not be reversed nor forgotten. In the pre-Civil War days of America, many African-Americans were victims of the legalization of slavery in the South. They were often abused and mistreated, and forced to work without pay. In the film “12 Years a Slave”, a free man, Solomon Northup, was kidnapped and sold into slavery. His life took a change for the worst as he
The Prince, written by Machiavelli is concerned with the issues politics, ruling a state and how a ruler or a leader should be. The key properties of a ruler are represented by Machiavelli in details and the inner and outer effects of the success in ruling are mentioned. One of the most important topics in The Prince is about the relationship of skillfulness (virtù) of the ruler and his good or bad chance (fortune) and their effects on gaining and keeping the power. Virtù, which has the present meaning of manliness, is used by Machiavelli as having skills, strength, intelligence and prudence of a ruler. It is the inner ability to gain the power and not to lose it easily. Fortuna, with the present use, fortune is explained as the word of God and the luck and opportunity that is given to the ruler. A ruler by fortune is dependent
In When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, each of the characters – the mother, the daughter, the son, and the father - change because of their time spent in the Japanese-American internment camps. These characters change in not only physical ways, but they also undergo psychic and emotional changes as a result of staying in the camps. These changes weaken their resolve for living and cause the quality of their lives to decline; some of these changes will affect their lives forever. Their reclassification into the internment camps stays with the family long after they are released from the camps.
I also found it somewhat interesting that those who were in command of fleets and armies in China were mostly eunuchs. These eunuchs were fiercely loyal to the emperor. Levathes describes in depth how prisoners would be castrated and become eunuchs. Zheng He was the commander for Zhu Di fleet of treasure ships. Despite him being a eunuch he was not the stereotypical one; he had a big, booming voice and was about six feet tall. Zheng He died on the returning trip to China and is now renowned as one of the greatest real-life legends of all time.
...ues the Chinese chose instead to uphold their values and some societal relations such as the position of women and the definitions of public and private space between men and women came under scrutiny. The duties of filial piety have a place in traditional Chinese society and have to value to continue to evolve with the country, but values are only worth keeping if they do not hinder the progress and growth of a nation.
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
In the Empire, the Emperor had complete jurisdiction over all policies and decisions. In the beginnings of the empire, h...
Confucius’s counsel and guidance recorded in The Analects instilled wisdom when they were first recorded and continue to provide a thought provoking analysis of life and the checkpoints that guide it. The Master’s commentary on restraint, diligence, decency, and citizenship are well intended and relevant. Politics and the role of government also come under scrutiny as Confucius offers his insights in bettering the organization of power. His proverb-like admonitions use clear examples of everyday life allowing them to be understood and easily digested. Confucius’s own eagerness and willingness to share goodness he experienced makes it easier to apply and practice in one’s own life.
Frederickson, H. George. "Confucius and the moral basis of bureaucracy." Administration & Society 33.6 (2002): 610-628.
Shan Te has hard time saying no to whoever comes to her asking for help, but men like Yang Sun take advantage of her generosity and loving personality to exploit her. Despite all the good deeds shen Te does to Young Sun, He bravely tells Shui Ta that “Shen Te is a woman: she is devoid of common sense. I only need to lay hands on her and church bells ring.”(56). Yang Sun statement shows no respect to woman probable because of the way the society has been stereotyping women to be devoid to common sense. The same statement can mean that in that society, a women can not hold important government position that involves making laws and policies. Yang Sun believes women are predictable and easily manipulated. He says ‘because I lay my hands on her breasts’’ (56) to be enough justification to why Shen Te is devotional to him. He thinks women are just like a machines that need to be touched on buttons to execute function. It is very shocking for Shui Ta, Shen Te’s double self of to hear a man’s perspective on a woman position in her society through her