Chinese Philosophy Activity

Confucius: Was an influential  Chinese philosopher,  teacher and political figure known for his popular aphorisms and for his models of social interaction.

Confucianism, a religion of optimistic humanism, has had a monumental impact upon the life, social structure, and political philosophy of China. The founding of the religion goes back to one man, known as Confucius, born 500 years before Christ. Confucianism deals primarily with moral conduct and ethical living and is often categorized as an ethical system, rather than a religion. It emphasizes the earthly, not the heavenly.













Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni, or simply the Buddha, was a sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.


Buddhism: Respect for others properties and all life 

 Han Fei, also known as Han Feizi, was a Chinese philosopher who, along with Li Si, Gongsun Yang, Shen Dao and Shen Buhai, developed the doctrine of Legalism.

Legalism: All power to legal ruler.
















Laozi was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions.

Daoism: Keeping your life simple with nature.












What is the difference between religion and philosophy?  

   Religion is a belief, it has set of code of conduct, principle, ethics, and morals to follow in ones life. Philosophy on the other hand speaks about realization of the supreme truth. It deals with the topic of life after death. It speaks about the existence of the should and life after death. Philosophy establishes the divine nature of man. It teaches the absolute truth that each soul is potentially divine.

Digital Scrapbook Entry#4: Egypt

Current event: http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/modern-version-ancient-egyptian-practice-mummification-now-available-001354
http://science.howstuffworks.com/mummy5.htm
Past event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_burial_customs

"Comparing Ancient Egyptian With Modern Mummification Techniques"

Modern ways of mummification replace the fluids in the body with something that won't decay.  The idea is to preserve the body so that thousands of years from now it will look exactly like the way it did when the person died . One modern process claims to be similar to Egyptian techniques and takes 120 days. First organs are removed and cleansed then the body is submerged for 70 days in a tank of preservation solution made up of chemicals. The organs are then reinserted and the body is preserved in a plastic resin. It is covered with lanolin and wax followed by layers of cotton gauze and a fiber glass finish. The body is then encased in steel or bronze casket. The coffin is then put into a tomb with other mummies.  Another modern technique replaces the fluids and tissues with wax and plastics.


The main process of mummification during ancient times was preserving the body by dehydrating it using natron, a natural material found in Wadi Natron.  Natron is like a combination of baking soda and salt. The body is drained of any liquids but the skin, hair and muscles are preserved. The most classic and common method of mummification dates back to the 18th Dynasty. The fist step was to remove the liquids so that the body would not decay. The next step was to remove the internal organs, the lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines, and place them in the canopic jars with lids shaped like head of the protective gods. Then the body was washed with wine and stuffed with bags of natron. The dehydration process took 40 days and removing the organs took about 30 days.  The body was then covered with dressing which provided physical protection.  Wealthier mummies had a burial mask of their head.


The main goal of all types of mummification is to preserve the body so it won't decay. The Egyptian way of mummification was the opposite of modern mummification, because during ancient times the body was dehydrated and nothing replaced the lost fluids.  While in modern day mummification the body is dehydrated but the lost fluids are replaced by preservative fluids, wax or plastic resin. The result of ancient mummification techniques were  not very realistic.  The mummies were unrecognizable. Modern mummification produces a more realistic figure.  The chemicals used today really help the mummy look like the dead person. Modern embalmers have many more chemical and techniques than the Egyptians available for making a realistic representation of the body.

Citations:

• http://www.sciencebuddies.org/Files/3598/5/HumBio_img014.jpg
• http://i-cias.com/e.o/slides/mummy01.jpg

Current Event Article:

 Modern version of ancient Egyptian practice of mummification 
18 February, 2014 - 01:13 aprilholloway
Link: http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/modern-version-ancient-egyptian-practice-mummification-now-available-001354


Ancient Article:

Archeology: The Milk Revolution 
Wikipedia

Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_burial_customs

Thoughts and Reflections: "The Indifference of Confucius"

   

       Confucianism is indifferent to what went on before and what will come after. Christianity worries about what came before us, which is god, and what comes after us, heaven and hell. Confucianism worries about the now and the relationship of family, society, friends and government. Confucianism is a social practice which does not contain some of the elements of other religions, like Christianity and Islam. It is primarily an ethical system to which rituals have been added which are important at times during one's lifetime. In Confucianism you don't really pray and their is no god who will solve all your problems.  Instead you have solve to solve your problems yourself as part of society.  

China Map Activity

• What effect does the physical feature  of china have on its early development?

 China’s lands are bordered on the east by the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Deserts edge the northern and western lands. To the north is the Gobi Desert and to the west lies the Taklimakan Desert. The Pamir, Tian Shan, and Himalaya mountain ranges form a tight curve on the western border.Unlike the regions of the Nile and Fertile Crescent, where civilizations interacted with each other, China was geographically isolated. The huge mountain chains, vast deserts, and large expanses of water made the spread of ideas and goods to China difficult. As a result, Chinese civilization developed along very distinct lines.

Thoughts and Reflections: Mother Cow

Mother Cow

              Since tractors are rare in India oxen are used to plow and pull carts and cows are needed to breed the oxen . Cows also provide milk and farmers consider cows as pets.  Cow dung has lots of different functions.  If you mix dung with water it turns into a paste which can be used as a floor in a house.  Dung are also used for cooking and as a fertilizer for plants. Cows turn waste products on farms and in cities into dung.  Cow hides from dead cows are used to make leather.  They people who make the leather sell the meat from the dead cows to Muslims and Christians. The author feels like the real economic reason why cows are sacred is because when there is a famine the cows need to be kept alive.  If the cows are eaten during a famine there won't be any cows left after the famine ends.  If they eat the cows now to keep from starving they but starve later because there won't be any cows left.  In America there are huge mechanized dairy farms where each cow provides a lot of milk.  India there are a lot of small farms with only one or two cows where each cow only provides a little milk.  American farms require a lot of energy while Indian farms use very little.  India is more environmentally friendly because they use natural resources to maintain their farms and use no chemicals.  America uses a lot of artificial hormones and chemicals for farming. Indians use their cows more efficiently than because they use almost no artificial fertilizer and energy. Eating meat is not an efficient way to make food.  In India they eat very little meat.  

Citations: http://adaggyblog.wordpress.com/

               http://andreas.com/india.html

Map of India and Indus Valley

Thoughts and Reflections: Caste System

               

Caste

       The caste system in India is a class structure where you caste is determined by birth.  You have the same occupation as your parents.  However if you can't earn a living in the profession of your caste you might have to earn a living in a profession of some other lower caste. You can only change your caste when you are born into your next life.  India is a huge country where the caste system gives everybody responsibilities and brings order to a chaotic environment. The caste system lets everybody feel like they're  part of a team. Supposedly people should accept their position in caste system which would make everybody work hard, be happy and live in peace. The caste system got to India because India was conquered many times by other civilizations over 3,000 years and each conqueror would impose his own class over the newly conquered people.  Today the lower castes are given privileges or preferences by the government for education and government jobs. This makes people in the lower castes  want to be part of the caste system  in order to have an education and get government jobs. Many of the Brahmans who don't get the jobs then go overseas to find better opportunities.