POLI113A Waldorf University Confucian Moral Theory and Practice Paper should be full 6 pages double spaced not including title and references! FINAL EX

POLI113A Waldorf University Confucian Moral Theory and Practice Paper should be full 6 pages double spaced not including title and references!

FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS AND PROMPTS

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Formatting Requirements: All essays must be in 12 point Times or Times New Roman font, double spaced, with one inch margins. Name, class information, and title blocks on the first page must be single spaced. Headers and footers on subsequent pages must be no more than one line.

Citations and Works Cited: Use parenthetical citations including lecture date or page number as is appropriate (Magagna Lecture DATE; Yao 2002 at 14). Works cited pages are not necessary unless citing material other than lectures or books listed in the syllabus’s required reading section. You may cite one source from outside class a maximum of two times.

Length: Essays shall be no longer than 7 pages. We will stop reading at the 7th page. There is no official minimum length. We do grade, however, on your ability to sustain arguments about complicated topics about which whole books are written so you should really not be surprised if your essay that ends with one word on the sixth page gets positively destroyed by the graders as showing insufficient argument or detail.

Topics: Please choose one of the following topics.

Compare and contrast western and East Asian systems of law and justice
explain Confucian moral theory a practice explain the five constant virtues and the concept of ren
explain Confucian political economy and its lasting legacies
explain Confucian law
explain Confucian ritual theory
explain the characteristics of modernity and apply them to Confucian East Asia

here is the midterm essay as a reference Mandy Xu
Prof. Victor Magagna
POLI 113A
11/8/2019
Confucian Teachings on Human Nature
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher and played a crucial role in shaping the
modern East Asian region. His teachings and philosophical ideologies have been taught
for generations and even led to the rise of Confucianism. One of the teachings of
Confucianism is human nature. In the teachings of Confucianism, human nature is an
interesting system. Confucius, however, teaches how people can improve their nature on
an individual and society level. Confucianism focuses on how human nature, on an
individual level, can affect society. The proper order is a Confucian teaching that
instructs its followers on how they can achieve the optimum potential of their human
nature. The Confucian teachings on humanity have played a key role in shaping the
political landscape of East Asian countries. The teachings have helped individuals to
improve their human behavior and its effect on society and the nation. Proper order as a
concept starts or begins at an individual level through which a person can establish ways
to improve community and countries as a whole. To achieve proper order, a person has
to follow the Confucian teachings of Heaven, Way of Harmony, and the Confucian
teaching of Way of Human.
In Confucianism, heaven acts as the primary source of spiritual awareness and
divinity. The teachings of Confucianism are based on observing and following the rules
of Heaven. Confucianists seek to live their lives following the will of Heaven and
believe by following these rules, they will improve their behavior and nature. Thus,
heaven is the pinnacle of ethics and righteousness of human actions and nature in terms
of the moral setting. According to Yao, “the scholars suggest that its principle can be
identified with Natural Law in modern European philosophy” (142). Heaven in the
Confucian system of beliefs offers humanity a space for accountability of their actions.
To Confucians, heaven is the superior reality to earth where people are held accountable
for their efforts during their lifetime on earth. Heaven, thus, helps to remind people of
the consequences of their behavior and actions and the ultimate judgment that awaits
them in the afterlife. Therefore, a person becomes answerable to a supreme deity or god
once they enter heaven after they are dead. In the Han Dynasty, it is believed that
heaven would send visitations (Zai) and prodigies (yi) to caution the emperor of the
devious acts he pursued, and to give him a chance to seek penance for his wrongdoings
and to cultivate his good virtues (Yao 144). This action by heaven to send the prodigies
and visitations also meant that it disappointed by the human populations and their
wicked actions; thus, the two would serve as a warning for people to turn back to living
in virtuous ways. Therefore, heaven acts as a tool for authority where the Confucian
doctrines originate.
Heaven is considered to be the source of all life on earth, and order on earth is
the primary concern of heaven. In Confucianism, heaven is the realm that has authority
and dominion over the whole universe. Even in the modern East Asian societies, people
are afraid to do evil deeds because they are aware of the punishment they will face in
the afterlife. Heaven is also perceived as the guardian for positive moral virtues in
people because it generates more positive power for the people. Yao states that negative
actions such as wrongdoings and evil deeds “are believed to be eventually corrected and
punished by Heaven, which is closely ‘watching’ and passionately concerned with the
world below” (Yao 145). People who violate moral laws cannot be held accountable by
the constitution or the UN. However, Confucians believe that Heaven will hold them
accountable. Yao further shows how Confucius himself f had faith in heaven that upon
facing a matter of life or death, Confucius puts his faith in heaven to relieve him of his
distress. Similarly, to most Confucians, when faced with challenges, they seek the
heavens to provide insight into how they can solve their problems. Therefore, humans
are guided by their duty to heaven because they live their lives guided by a moral code
that is in line with heaven. Mencius, thus, believed that following the way of Heaven
and its doctrine, would help people improve their human nature.
The way of Humans also explains the Confucian moral code and ethical
standpoint of Confucianism. Humanness is viewed as an ethical lifestyle or moral
virtuousness and righteousness. Numerous scholars of t Confucianism concur that
Heaven is the establishment of upright underlying foundations of morality, moral
goodness, kindness, and virtue. Be that as it may, people are not obligated or obliged to
have these redeeming qualities of having a high moral and ethical values. Thus, the
decision to cultivate these behaviors depends on an individual and their idea of
becoming rooted in humanness. According to De Bary, Theodore, and Lufrano state
that, Mencius believed that “All men are born with the beginnings of virtue and with an
inclination toward goodness that is natural” (116). These good qualities of an individual
affect how the individual factors in society. For example, if individuals are trustworthy,
kind to each other, and respect one another, different institutions can exist within
society.
Through Confucianism teachings, ideologies and institutions such as democracy
have been championed and appreciated in most East Asian countries. According to Bell
and Hahm, “The success of democracy also depends on the sharing of certain values and
attitudes such as trust, tolerance, and accommodation at all levels of society” (71). The
Way of Human seeks to bring out the best of the human character and helping them to
develop to productive people in the community. The Way of Human inn Confucianism
strives to nurture the best traits of human nature to improve how people relate with each
other. During the lifetime of Mencius, the war of the Warring states rampaged through
the kingdoms of China. Mencius believed that if people could care for one another, then
there would be no need for war. Thus, the way of Human provides a way for people to
live peacefully with each other and create a peaceful society. Through these teachings,
human rights have been upheld in most of the East Asian countries. Improving human
nature can help society, and the nation grows because conflict will be non-existent due
to the righteousness and peaceful nature of human behavior is encouraged.
The Way of Harmony acts as a link between the way of human and heaven. It
serves as the connection between the way of human and heaven. The way of harmony is
a discourse between a person and the ultimate superior being. Mencius teaches the
followers of Confucius that to cultivate their nature, they have to cultivate their nature
for them to know heaven. Harmony in Confucianism is viewed as a form of moral and
political means through which heaven is observed to be the eventual manager or
administrator of earth and the custodian of humans. The way of harmony encompasses
the ability of coexistence of different things through favorable conditions and
relationships. Living in harmony means people can live in peace with one another and
live beyond the barriers that separate them. Mencius lived in China during a period of
war known as the Warring States period. The different monarchs in China conflicted
with each other, and many people lost their lives. The war was ended because the states
came together to form one state through which they could find a long-lasting peace in
the area. In the book Beyond Liberal Democracy, the author believes that “This unified
order, however, was to be achieved by means of “moral power,” not coercion or
punitive laws” (Bell 139). Through the achievement of harmony, people can improve
the challenges they face in society. Similar to the warring states finding peace through
unification, various countries in the world have achieved peace through unification.
Vietnam found peace after North and South Vietnam unified. Thus, the way of harmony
connects the way of heaven and the way of humanness.
In conclusion, Mencius’ (Mengzi) concept of proper order and human nature
seeks to appeal to the way people relate with oneself, each other, and society as a whole.
The Confucian teachings on human nature explore the improvement of humankind by
improving the nature of people’s behavior and actions. Thus, Mencius’s teachings on
human nature believe that improving human nature will result in the improvement of
society as a whole. Confucians seeking to enhance their human nature have to follow
the three Confucian teachings; a way of heaven, the way of humans, and the way of
harmony. Through the way of humans, and individuals and communities can improve
their relationship with the supreme deity and also the authoritarian body governing
them. By following the way of humans and way of harmony, individuals can live
together in peace and harmony by overcoming the challenges that divide them, such as
discrimination against race and gender. Overall, the Confucian teachings on human
nature strive to improve society by first improving the individual and later on a society
level.
Work Cited
Bell, Daniel A. Beyond liberal democracy: Political thinking for an East Asian context.
Princeton University Press, 2009.
Bell, Daniel, Daniel A. Bell, and Hahm Chaibong, eds. Confucianism for the modern
world. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
De Bary, Wm Theodore, and Richard Lufrano, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition: From
1600 through the twentieth century. Columbia University Press, 2001.
Yao, Xinzhong. An Introduction to Confucianism. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

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