Let's travel to China...
Course in Humanities: Fortnight #4
Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the forth fortnight of our adapted version of Ted Gioia’s Course in Humanities.
You can find previous parts of this course at the end of this post.
For now, we’ll discuss:
a) Ancient Chinese arts and crafts.
b) 4-album set The Hugo Masters from the Hugo and Celestial Harmonies labels.
c) Confucius: The Analects.
Chinese arts and crafts
The Chinese have been around for thousands of years and their culture is probably the oldest (continuous) surviving piece of the Ancient World.
While many traditions and styles from other parts of the globe, and even Asia itself (take India, for example), remain highly influential, there have been several rupture points or invading practices that significantly altered their substances and/or forms.
The Chinese, however, have managed to successfully preserve tradition and incorporate the past into the present in a unique, truly impressive way.
Chinese art is varied1 and, although much was lost due to time and periods of conflict and unrest, there are a lot of pieces, from several dynasties (some date back to 6000 BCE), left. A quick search and you'll see what I'm talking about.
My favorite are the scrolls.
Check out this part of the Nine Dragons (you can see the full piece here).
Also from the Song Dynasty:
Here is one from the Ming Dynasty:
Now let’s move on to the best part of my two-week Chinese culture immersion.
Music transported me…
Isn't it amazing how something can feel foreign and yet strangely familiar?
This was my experience with the Hugo Masters.
The Hugo Masters collection is the product of musician, producer and engineer Aik Yew-goh’s efforts to record and document some of China's enormous musical tradition (what we usually call Chinese classical music has been developed and shared orally for thousands of years across millions of square miles).
My favorite part was the first volume (bowed strings). If I closed my eyes, it felt like I had traveled in time and space to a faraway land, full of sounds, textures and imagery I had never seen before.
However, it was clear as day I had gone to China. The songs and the instruments were so distinctly Chinese, there was nowhere else it could have been (seriously, I could almost smell the steamed dumplings).
My least favorite part was volume 3. Some of the songs made me think of ducks trying to sing, which might have been intentional (I was grinding my teeth too much to consider researching and risk listening to them again).
The fourth volume reminded me of the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony — the Chinese could give the French a few lessons on how to put on a show.
I also spent some time reading Chinese lyric poetry, particularly Cí. You can read a little about it in this post.
The Analects
The Analects is a foundational text of Chinese culture (and those influenced by it). It has been studied for over 2000 years and used as a guide to personal conduct, religion, leadership, politics and education.
It consists of excerpts of dialogue between Kong Qiu or Master Kong (c. 551 – c. 479 BCE), known in the West as Confucius, and his pupils, who wrote and preserved their master’s words to posterity.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this fortnight’s reading assignment.
I found to book too dispersed, repetitive and even contradictory at times, perhaps because it’s a compilation of excerpts that lack context and structure.
It also didn't help that my previous readings were the Iliad and the Odyssey.
I think Confucius and his disciples were excessively stuck on hierarchy and formality, which is understandable.
Confucius lived during Spring and Autumn period (c. 770 – c. 481 BCE), marked by the gradual descent of the royal authority (Zhou Dynasty) and increasing conflict between local elites. It was followed by the Warring States period (c. 481 – 221 BCE), a little over two centuries of conquest wars that culminated in the first dynasty of Imperial China (Qin).
From that time of intense change and unrest, three major Chinese philosophies arose: Legalism, Confucianism and Daoism.
Legalism can be summarized in applying and upholding the law, even if it means sacrificing personal liberty to preserve the State/society. The first emperor seems to have been highly influence by this school of thought and the Qin Dynasty was known for the persecution of dissent scholars, like followers of Confucius.
Confucianism can be roughly described as obeying elders/superiors and behaving according to the rites/rules of propriety in other to preserve tradition and society.
Daoism, as following the dao (the way). It requires people to follow the will of the universe and practice self-sufficiency and detachment.
It makes sense that, facing so much chaos and fear of watching society collapse right before their eyes, confucianists would be so keen to adhering to tradition.
I agree preserving tradition is important, but progress requires change.
Just as you would expect from a doctrine that originated in a feudal and patriarchal society, the imbalance of power between men and women, master and servant, ruler and subject portrayed by Confucius’ teachings doesn't translate well into modern times.
And while he doesn’t advocate for mindless obedience, there is a level of deference due to age and status that does not sit well with me either (you can accumulate a lot of idiocy and arrogance with time and power).
It’s also worth noting that Confucius was exactly the kind of person (highly respected male elder) that would be pleased the most with this kind of social structure.
I personally believe respect must be universal, but reverence must be earned.
Moving from hierarchy to formality, I feel like he places to much importance on appearances, even though he says not to.
For example, in Book XVII, Confucius severely criticized one of his disciples (Zai Yu or Zai Wo) for proposing to shorten the three-year mourning period after the death of a parent.
The purpose of the three year mourning period is showing respect for one’s ancestors, but what is the point of interrupting music and social engagements for so long in order to appear mournful when you're no longer mourning?
Is a son who pretends to grieve for the sake of reputation better than a son who truly suffers and moves on, regardless of how long it takes, after his parents’ passing?
Confucius seems to find meaning in the rites themselves or believe that rites are the only proper way to convey meaning.
Still, The Analects is an essential work for anyone trying to understand the Chinese people and their culture.
This is it for today, I hope you join me next fortnight.
In case you haven't read them, here are parts One, Two and Three.
You can find plenty of sculptures, paintings, vases and pots, scrolls, murals, statues, carvings, metal work, ceramics and so on.