Explore the ancient beginnings of Chinese philosophy and the lives of sage kings. Learn about Karl Jaspers's Theory of the Axial Age and the development of Confucianism up to the Tang Dynasty. Delve into the challenges of attributing ancient Chinese texts, the significance of virtues, villains in history, and the concept of Mandate of Heaven. Discover the origins of great thinkers like Confucius and the Buddha across different ancient civilizations.
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Quick takeaways
Early Chinese philosophers revered sage kings like Yao and Shun, setting moral benchmarks for society.
The Axial Age marked by Karl Jaspers led to profound philosophical discussions on universal human concerns.
Deep dives
Development of Chinese Philosophy
The podcast delves into the progression of Chinese philosophy through the lives of numerous philosophers, spanning from the Western Zhou dynasty to Wang Yang Ming during the Ming dynasty. It explores how ancient Chinese thinkers like Confucius and Mozi focused on practical matters such as ethics, morals, and politics rather than metaphysical concepts.
Evolution of Moral Standards
The episode discusses the exemplar figures in early Chinese history like Yao, Shun, and the mythical emperors, along with cautionary tales of wicked kings like Jie and Zhou. These narratives established moral benchmarks for decency, reflecting on virtues, humility, and selflessness. Confucius and subsequent philosophers evaluated these figures to define ideals of human decency and virtuous rulership.
Axial Age and Global Philosophical Shift
The concept of the Axial Age proposed by Karl Jaspers highlights a period of intense philosophical and religious activity across civilizations, including China, India, Persia, Judea, and Greece. The simultaneous emergence of great thinkers like Confucius, Buddha, and philosophers from various regions ignited pivotal discussions on fundamental human concerns. Surviving texts from this era reveal a common quest to address universal human issues, shaping the enduring foundations of global philosophy.
Back in 2017, I produced a nine-part series on the history of Chinese philosophy. These were once episodes CHP-184 to 192. In 2021, I removed this series from the CHP lineup of shows and published it as an online course. Since last year the History of Chinese Philosophy series has only been available on my Patreon and CHP Premium. What you're listening to here is an updated and new recording from what first came out seven years ago.
In the first of 18 episodes that will be covered in this series, we look at Chinese Philosophy’s Ancient Beginnings and early Western understanding of Chinese Philosophy. The lives of the ancient Chinese sage kings will also be explored and why some philosophers held them up as role models for society. We will also look at Karl Jaspers's Theory of the Axial Age. For these first ten episodes, the focus will be on pre-Confucian and Confucian philosophers, Legalism, and how Confucianism developed up to the Tang Dynasty.
Transcripts to all eighteen episodes are available on Amazon, Barnes Noble, and at Earnshaw Books. Below are links if you're interested.