Philosophy: History, Background, and Theories from Great Thinkers

By Philip Rivaldi

This book consists of two titles, which are the following:



Book 1: In this convenient guide, several ancient, famous philosophers will be covered, so you may get a better understanding of the ancestors who have shaped our ideas and theories before we were born.



Confucius has definitely left a mark on the world of Eastern philosophy. His ideas were revolutionary and impressive enough for people to follow him, record his works, and start a group of devoted followers. In the first chapter, more light will be shed on this.



The second philosopher mentioned in this guide, is Aristotle, a sharp-minded, focused thinker who received a name with fame. His clinical examinations and his references to Plato and Socrates are known in Greek history.



Third in line is a Chinese thinker named Lao-Tzu, a theorist of the pre-Confucian era who, although he was aware of the power of silence, made sure others knew of his view on life. His influence on Taoism was prevalent.



Last but not least is Zeno, the creator of the Stoic School of philosophy in Athens, teaching that the Logos was the best thing to hold on to in life. His studies have rampantly been acknowledged by some of the greatest thinkers in European history.



I invite you to take a closer look at these great men and their intricate ideas today.



Book 2: In this book, you will find information about five different philosophers, some of them well-known, others less. But all of them had a significant impact on the ancient world and how people thought, as well as some of our modern-day ideas.



The first in line is Marcus Aurelius, a stoic emperor who reigned with righteousness and justice, according to historical records.
The second is Hipparchia, a cynic who broke through traditions and took a second look at society and its principles.



Third is a somewhat better-known historical figure called Heraclitus of Ephesus. This Greek thinker who noted that “life is flux”, meaning that all things change constantly.



Fourth is Diogenes of Sinope, a Greek philosopher who was known for holding a candlelight to people’s faces in search for honest people. His studies in Athens have left their mark.



The last this guide mentions and discusses, is Parmenides, founder of the Eleatic School of philosophy. He talked about the “way in which it is and the way in which it is not.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Efalon Acies
• Release date: Oct 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9791220205887

Book preview

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Chapter 1: Confucius

Confucius (or Kongzi) was a Chinese philosopher who was alive in the sixth century BCE and whose ideas, uttered in the philosophy of Confucianism, have impacted Chinese civilization all the way up to the present day. Confucius has become a bigger than life figure and it is difficult to separate the reality from the myths. He is seen as the very first instructor and his teachings are usually uttered in short phrases which are open to various interpretations. Chief among his philosophical ideas is the significance of a virtuous life, filial piety and ancestor worship. Also emphasized is the need for good-hearted and frugal rulers, the importance of inner moral consistency and its direct connection with consistency in the real world and that rulers and mentors are necessary good example for broader society.

Confucius' Early life

Confucius is actually believed to have lived from c. 551 to c. 479 BCE in the state of Lu (now Shandong or Shantung). Yet, the earliest written record of him dates from some four hundred years after his death in the Historic Records of Sima Qian (or Si-ma Ts' ien). Raised in the city of Qufu (or K' u-fou), Confucius worked for the Prince of Lu in different capabilities, especially as the Director of Public Works in 503 BCE and then the Director of the Justice Department in 501 BCE. Somewhat later, he travelled widely in China and consulted with several minor experiences including imprisonment for five days due to a case of incorrect identity. Confucius met the event with normal restraint and was said to have calmly played his stringed instrument until the mistake was discovered. Eventually, Confucius returned to his home town where he developed his own school in order to provide students with the teachings of the ancients. Confucius did not consider himself a 'creator' but rather a 'transmitter' of these ancient moral traditions. Confucius' school was also open to all classes, rich and poor.

Confucius' Functions

It was even though he was teaching in his school that Confucius began to write. Two collections of poetry were the Book of Odes (Shijing or Shi king) and the Book of Files (Shujing or Shu king). The Spring and Fall Records (Lin Jing or Lin King), which told the history of Lu, and the Book of Changes (Yi Jing or Yi king) was a collection of writings on divination. Regrettably for posterity, none of these works laid out Confucius' philosophy. Confucianism, because of this, needed to be created from second-hand accounts and the most dependable documentation of the ideas of Confucius is considered to be the Analects though even here there is no absolute evidence that the expressions and narratives were actually said by him and typically the absence of framework and clarity leave lots of his theories open to individual analysis. The other three significant sources of Confucian idea are Mencius, Great Learning and Mean. With Analects, these works make up the 4 Books of Confucianism otherwise referred to as the Confucian Classics. Through these texts, Confucianism became the official state faith of China from the 2nd century BCE.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy, and especially Confucianism, has always been concerned with practical questions of morality and ethics. How should man live in order to master his environment, supply ideal government and achieve ethical consistency? Central to Confucianism is that the moral consistency of the person is straight related to extraterrestrial consistency; what one does, impacts the other. For example, poor political decisions can cause natural catastrophes such as floods. An example of the direct correlation between the physical and the moral is evidenced in the saying, 'Paradise doesn't have two suns and the people do not have two kings'. A consequence of this idea is that, just as there's only one interstellar environment, there is only one true way to live and only one correct political system. If civilization fails it is just because sacred texts and theories have been misinterpreted; the texts themselves contain the Way and yet we should search for and find it.

Another essential facet of Confucius' ideas was that mentors, and especially rulers, should lead by example. They must be benevolent to win the love and respect of the populace and not do so by force, which is futile. They should also be models of thriftiness and high ethical upstanding. For this reason, Chinese education has typically favoured the growing of moral perceptiveness rather than particular intellectual abilities. Further, under Confucian influence, Chinese politics principally focussed on the intimacy of relationships rather than organizations.

Mencius & Xunzi

Later, the thoughts of Confucius were farther developed and codified by two essential thinkers, Mencius (or Mengzi) and Xunzi (or Hsun Tzu). Whilst both actually believed that man's sense of morality and

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