Synthesized answer
The passages indicate a shift in Chinese religious thought, moving from a belief in a personal God or Gods to more philosophical and abstract concepts. The early periods featured superstitions and supernatural manifestations, with sacrifices and ancestral worship being prominent [1]. There were instances of anthropomorphic views of God, as seen with Emperor Wu I of the Shang dynasty [2, 4].
However, with the rise of Confucianism, there was a weakening of supernatural beliefs and a focus on morality and human conduct. Confucianism, as described, became a system of morality rather than a religion, with its founder subordinating duty to God to duty towards one's neighbor and viewing "God" more as an abstraction [1, 5]. The introduction of Taoism also led to the weakening of the old Monotheistic Faith [1]. While sacrifices to God and Earth were still performed by the Emperor, the idea of an early God of forefathers had largely ceased to vivify religious instincts [3]. The passages suggest that the driving force reshaping religious thought was the development of philosophical systems like Confucianism and Taoism, which shifted focus from supernatural entities to humanistic concerns…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
Odes—Hou Chi and Parthenogenesis—Superstitions and Supernatural Manifestations—Sacrifice—Ancestral Worship—Filial Piety. Feudal Age (Tenth Century to Third Century B.C.)—The Influence of Confucianism—His Agnosticism—Weakening of Supernatural Beliefs—Consolidation of Confucianism—Human Sacrifices—Prayers for Rain—The Philosophy of Taoism—A Rival to Confucianism—But uniting to weaken the old Monotheistic Faith—Its Theory of Spirits—Modifications of Taoism—The Elixir of Life—Evidences of a Spiritual World—Mysticism. The Empire (Third Century B.C. to modern times)—Arguments against a Spiritual…
hat are we to do?" Anthropomorphism and Fetishism.—One of the last Emperors of the Shang dynasty, Wu I, who reigned B.C. 1198-1194, even went so far as "to make an image in human form, which he called God. With this image he used to play at dice, causing some one to throw for the image; and if 'God' lost, he would overwhelm the image with insult. He also made a bag of leather, which he filled with blood and hung up. Then he would shoot at it, saying that he was shooting God. By and by, when he was out hunting, he was struck down by a violent thunderclap, and killed." God indignant.—Finally,…
th century, and where, in 1850, there were still to be found traces of the old faith, now said to be completely effaced. Christianity.—With the advent of the Jesuit Fathers in the sixteenth century, and of the Protestant missionaries, Marshman and Morrison, in 1799 and 1807 respectively, we pass gradually down to the present day, where we may well pause and look around to see what remains to the modern Chinese of their ancient faiths. It is scarcely too much to say that all idea of the early God of their forefathers has long since ceased to vivify their religious instincts, though the…
e circumspectly; after which the mulberry-trees soon withered and died. Revelation in a dream.—The Emperor Wu Ting, B.C. 1324-1264, began his reign by not speaking for three years, leaving all State affairs to be decided by his Prime Minister, while he himself gained experience. Later on, the features of a sage were revealed to him in a dream; and on waking, he caused a portrait of the apparition to be prepared and circulated throughout the empire. The sage was found, and for a long time aided the Emperor in the right administration of government. On the occasion of a sacrifice, a pheasant…
rmed by villagers when driving out evil spirits from their dwellings. He protested against any attempt to impose on God. He said that "he who offends against God has none to whom he can pray;" and when in an hour of sickness a disciple asked to be allowed to pray for him, he replied, "My praying has been for a long time." Yet he declined to speak to his disciples of God, of spiritual beings or even of death and a hereafter, holding that life and its problems were alone sufficient to tax the energies of the human race. While not altogether ignoring man's duty towards God, he subordinated it in…
More questions about this book
- Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are presented as interacting in various ways—as rivals, weakening old faiths, or borrowing from each other. How would you illustrate the core distinctions between these belief systems that led to both profound conflict and eventual syncretism, particularly concerning their views on the supernatural or the role of humanity?
- The text mentions both Confucius's 'Agnosticism' and later 'Agnosticism the rule for literati.' How did this philosophical stance, appearing at different historical junctures, impact the development of religious practices and the social stratification of belief, differentiating the experience of the educated elite from that of 'the Masses'?
- Multiple foreign religions like Mazdeism, Nestorian Christianity, and Manichaeism appear, yet the text specifically notes that 'Mahometanism alone survived' among them. What might this suggest about the cultural, social, or political conditions in ancient China that determined the long-term viability and integration of foreign belief systems?
- Taoism is first described as a 'Philosophy' and later as borrowing from Buddhism to 'become a Religion.' What implicit criteria or transformations does this transition suggest were necessary for a philosophical school of thought in ancient China to evolve into a full-fledged 'religion'?