RELG 253 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Tao Te Ching, Regular Language, Social Code

• School: McGill University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELG 253
• Professor: Lisa M.Blake, Jingjing Li

Document Summary

This is done from a western perspective and a western context, and most. Eastern culture is not archaic but superior to the west. Chinese conception of history is 5000 years. See history as a mirror of the mandate of heaven, a guideline, (cid:494)moral story(cid:495) and a textbook, (cid:494)political story(cid:495). Myth of pangu-explanation for the separation of heaven and earth. Oracle bones: ruler, shaman and recorder required for the divination. Four instruments of the government: rites, music, punishment, law. Saw music as both a symptom and cause of harmony. Tombs included ivory, bronze vessels, jewelry, currency, dogs, slaves, knives, Had a turtle shape because heaven is round and earth is flat. Lecture 3: government by ritual mirrors, bells, weapons and currency. Tomb and turtle shape both have the (cid:498)ya(cid:499) shape. Temple heaven roof is round, but base is square. Heaven is round and earth is square. Chopsticks top is square bottom is round.