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Confucianism and its implications for China today
Confucianism and its implications for China today
Confucianism and its implications for China today
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The Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 in Beijing, China
On June 3rd, 1989 in Tiananmen Square in Communist China’s capital of Beijing, protestors were silenced by military violence. Tiananmen, ironically, translates into “gate of heavenly peace”. Chinese troops arrested and killed thousands of civilians who were protesting for more governmental transparency and democracy. Protests had been gaining momentum since 1985, and grew to as much as 1.2 million protestors, led by students, in Beijing in May of 1989. The Chinese government, after asking the protestors to stop, imposed martial law and opened fire on the protestors. These protests angered many people from other countries, such as the United States, and are often characterized by the famous image of a lone protestor standing in front of a line of tanks.
China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It was traditionally ruled by imperial dynasties that usually lasted hundreds of years. In 1911, the Qing dynasty was overthrown and a republican state was established that lasted until 1949, when the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, established the People’s Republic of China, which is still in place today.
China has no official religion and many of its people are not religious, but Chinese society has been shaped by religion. Many Chinese people follow Confucianism or Daoism. Daoism emphasizes the ideas of compassion, moderation, and humility. Much of Chinese culture is based off the teachings of Confucius, which are centered on benevolence and guide to human action.
Rather than a single language in China, there are more than seven languages, though Mandarin is the official language. Tea drinking is also very popular in China. Chinese art is often influenced by Buddhism...
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...ijing, China. Flickr.com. Web. 10 May 2014.
Nathan, Andrew J. "The Consequences of Tiananmen." Interview by Maria E. Viggiano. Reset DOC: History. Reset Dialogues on Civilizations, 3 June 2009. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History." Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History. Ed. Jeffery T. Richelson. National Security Archive, 1 June 1999. Web. 08 May 2014.
"Tiananmen Square Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 08 May 2014.
"Tiananmen Square Massacre Takes Place." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 May 2014.
Witty, Patrick. "Behind the Scenes: Tank Man of Tiananmen." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 3 June 2009. Web. 8 May 2014.
Zimmermann, Kim Ann. "Chinese Culture: Customs & Traditions of China." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.
Kelman, Herbert C., Hamilton, V. Lee. “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience”. Writing & Reading for ACP Composition. Ed. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 266-277. Print.
When most American people think of Germany, they think of sports cars made for the autobahn, sauerkraut, Adolf Hitler, and the Holocaust. Compared to Germany, when most American people think of Japan they think of sushi, Godzilla movies, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. World War II was such a significant event in history that almost 70 years after it came to an end, today’s younger generations often associate former Axis controlled countries with the war. People around the world are filled with disgust and immense hate when they hear the name Hitler, mainly because of his leadership under the Holocaust; which was the discriminatory mass genocide of 11-17 million people, the vast majority of which were European Jews. Hirohito, former Emperor of Japan, should strike a similar bell with people when they hear his name because Japan carried out genocide on Chinese civilians and soldiers in World War II. Japan’s attack on the Chinese city of Nanking, was one of the most atrocious events in history. This event has been named both the Nanking Massacre and the Rape of Nanking. The torturous, violent techniques used by the Japanese army upon Chinese civilians and soldiers including dehumanizing them, addicting them to drugs, and other perverse and violent acts, are some of the most grosteque methods ever recorded that could only be thought of by sadistic Japanese soldiers. The events committed by the Japanese army in Nanking, are equally as disgusting as the acts that Nazi Germany committed and should become a major topic involved with World War II in the future, despite the lack of light shed on it in the past for various reasons.
Schoenhals, Michael. China's Cultural Revolution, 1966-1969: Not a Dinner Party. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1996. Print.
Cheng, Pei-kai, Michael Elliot. Lestz, and Jonathan D. Spence. The Search for Modern China: A Documentary Collection. New York: Norton, 1999. Print.
Linder, Doug. “An Introduction to the My Lai Courts Martial.” Famous American Trails: The My Lai Courts Martial, 1970. 15 Nov. 1999 <http://www.law.umkc.edu/
n.d. 16 April 2014 http://www.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encylclopedia/enc_march_on_washington_for_jobs_and_freedom/>. Official Program for the March on Washington (1963). n.d. 29 April 2014 www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=96>.
And some might say that Daoism had a greater impact because some Chinese people still follow Daoism today, such as people in Taiwan. All three of these philosophies (Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism) had an impact on ancient China. They not only changed the people but also affected the way the government functioned and ruled ancient China. These philosophies provided very different models for society. Some offered a more peaceful and free way of life, while another provided a much harsher and stricter way of life. Of all of them, Confucianism had the greatest impact on ancient China, influencing the culture, government and people, and creating a good model for a peaceful and just society. Many of these principles can still be seen in Chinese culture
"March 7, 1965 | Civil Rights Marchers Attacked in Selma."the New York times. (2012): n. page. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. .
Regarding religion, Chinese culture saw the emergence of Confucianism and Buddhism as the major influence. Confucianism stressed filial piety which meant respecting elders and superiors, ruling righteously, and obeying commands and orders. Confucianism was introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius. Buddhism was brought to China, but originated in India and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Followers of Buddhism worshipped Buddh...
The Buddhist brought with them the concept of multiple gods and Buddha’s “spiritual state to provide the power for humans to make the transition into death and the afterlife successfully” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). Confucianism brought the obedience of the child to the parent into Chinese mainstream life, plus the “social stratification and codes governing dress, actions and communication” (Corduan, 2012, p.409). Taoism introduced the balance of forces in harmony in spirits in the form of yin and yang, thus creating that balance of nature and humans (Corduan, 2012). Christianity influenced Chinese life both socially and economically by introducing the concepts of “love for one’s neighbor, self-discipline, and trust” (Lu, 2014, p.2) as both essential and beneficial (Lu, 2014). All of these together with the traditional Chinese religion, give the Chinese culture it’s popular religion
Neal, Mary. Battle of Singapore. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 13 Nov 1990: A.16.
Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both competition and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role. Confucianism emphasized a reiteration of current moral values and Taoism developed a system of based upon a harmonization of man with the natural order. These two popular philosophies, however, developed into popular religions eventually. Besides the major religions, ancestor worship and animism also have strong support in China. Chinese people are very pragmatic, worshipping gods that might answer their prayers.
In the Chinese culture there are several major religions, two of these include Confucianism and Taoism, which have dated back for thousands of years. According to. Experiencing the World 's Religions and The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions, both Confucianism and Taoism originated in ancient China through the religions’ teachers: Confucius and Lao Tzu. “Taoism and Confucianism grew up together, entering Chinese history around the sixth century B.C.E.; Taoism’s beginnings are linked to the legendary figure of Lao Tzu, senior to Confucius by about fifty years. Even though Taoism and many other folk religions have shaped the Chinese mind, Confucianism remains, by any historical measure, its chief mentor” (Novak 113).
In many countries, religion is very important, so important that some cultures use it in every aspect of their lives. China, like some other countries, is a multi-religious country.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In order to have a better understanding about the conflict of Tiananmen and its influence on further American relations with People’s Republic of China, this paper gives a short background of the bilateral relations until 1990. Historically, the United States and China did not have good relations due to the political regime of China. In addition, China was not that developed economically to have trade or any kinds of relations with the US. According to some historical data, the first China-US negotiations at the ambassadorial level started on August 1, 1955. The bilateral relations of America and China consist of several stages. The first stage of the US-Chinese relations started in 1971 when both opened their doors to financial and economic ties. The trading volume of these countries stood at US$ 4...