Title the pageBrainstart: Philosophy

• As you watch the following clip, think about the word “philosophy”.

• http://www.tubechop.com/watch/809067

• After watching, answer these questions in your notebook:– What does the word “philosophy” mean?– What is the point of having a philosophy?

Why is it important?

Draw a line under your Brainstart

Background Info

• “philosophy” comes from Greek roots: philo = love and sophia = wisdom

• The study of truths or principles

• A system of beliefs to guide everyday life

Three Chinese Philosophies

Three Chinese Philosophies

• Divide the whole page into 4 boxes

• Label the boxes like this:Philosophy in China Confucianism

Daoism Legalism

Philosophy in China

• Late Zhou dynasty and Warring States period (770-453 B.C.E.)

• Great power struggles between states (kingdoms) create instability

• Rulers searched for best way to govern based on understanding of human nature

• Three most influential philosophies were Confucianism, Daoism, & Legalism

Confucianism

• Founder: Kongfuzi, also called Confucius

• Goal: Just and peaceful society

• Belief: – Society is based on relationships.– When people act properly in their relationships,

society thrives– Respect and obey those above you, set good

example for those below you– Wisdom in word and action is more important than

wealth

Daoism• Founder: Laozi, a Zhou court advisor

• Goal: Create harmony by finding natural balance

• Belief: – The Dao, or “Way” is a force that gives order to the

universe– Nature is full of opposites, represented by yin and yang

(i.e. light & dark, life & death)– Avoid feeling self-important or trying to achieve wealth

and fame—it is not natural– Laws and rules prevent natural harmony, so a ruler

should rule as little as possible

Legalism• Founder: Hanfeizi, a prince from Han state• Goal: create peace and order through strict

laws• Belief:

– People are selfish and cannot be trusted, even family members

– Rulers should use strict laws and absolute power to create order

– Reward good behavior, but punish bad behavior severely

Activity• In a group of three, each group member will be given a

primary source passage related to one of the three Chinese philosophies

• You will be given a few minutes to read and annotate your passage

• As you read, look for evidence to support your hypothesis about which philosophy is represented in your passage

• When the teacher calls time, rotate the passages to the left in your group without talking.

• Read the new passage and look at the annotations made by previous readers, then add your own annotations.

• After you have read all three passages, discuss your ideas about which passage represents which philosophy. Complete the graphic organizer as a group.

Answers

Passage 1 = Daoism

Passage 2 = Legalism

Passage 3 = Confucianism

Exit Slip• Think about it…How would each philosophy

affect the way a ruler ran his/her state?• Respond: Imagine that the school is adopting

one of the three Chinese philosophies and using it to run the school.– Which philosophy would be best for running a

successful school? Why?– What are some specific examples of what someone

would experience in a school under this philosophy?

Paint a picture with words describing what someone would see/hear, how they would act/interact, etc.