Week 1

09/24/2010

September 27, 2010

I. Human Nature (Mencius) 300s BC) Child in a Well. One of the great
thinkers of E. Asian Thought, Mencius. Mencius lived in time of increasing
warfare. He was considered someone to influcence politics in a practical
way. Part of mission to educate rulers, he engaged in philosphucal
debate. Are human beings good, bad, neutral, selfinterested? A small
child who is old enough to walk around, falls into a well.
a. Strategic Choice. What Mencius says if you are out walking
around and you come across a case where you see a child in a
well, you have a choice. You have a choice to save or not save
the child.
i. Not Save: not save child in the well
ii. Save: If you do decide to save the child, why?
iii. Why? (Motives, Incentives)
iv. Discarded Options: Menicus says you are not choosing to
save the child because you want to get rich or status, or
power. He says something more basic.
1. Wealth
2. Status
3. Power
o v. Humanness: The choice to save is humanness. It is the
nature of human beings in this context to be moved to save
the child. To respond in this critical situation you are
respsonding because you are human.
a. Rational Choice: Mancuis says he cant give a
complete example of humanb nature, but it is innate.
He is not saying this choice is not rational. He is ssaying
in making this choice, you are thinking as you do it. You
are not just reacting like an animal.
People who defy and violate their own rationality by not
partaking in this humanness.
B. Fundamental Principal of All East Asian Thought Human Nature
As
o 1. Tendential (Propensity): In the quote read, Mencius says
ppl are born with certain tendencies that cannot be changed.
a. Self and Society: Mencius says that even those who
are hard hearted have a propensity to do good things.
You have to make an effort to make yourself fully
human. Laziness has moral implications.
Humanness requires a society where it can flourish, it
isnt just nature or nurture, it is both that are required.
o 2. Rational

a. Means-Ends: The end in the view is to save the child,

the means are so obvious. If you want a flourishing
world what are the means. If you want to get wealthy,
that is an end, then you need to means in order to get
the wealth, such as an advance degree in biz.
b. Self and Others: balancing the interests of
themselves and the other ppl.
o 3. Social (Cooperative):
Humans in this tradition are assumed by nature to have
the tendancy to be cooperative. Humans can naturally
be combatives over scarce resources, but there are no
way you can think about ppl in Asian thought outside of
society.
An abnormal world has one with lots of conflict and little
cooprations.
o 4. Moral: Mencius means that ppl have a moral self interest,
that we have a moral self interest
a. Material and Mora Self-Interest
C. How to realize it?
o 1. Self-cultivation: IS not something easy or something you
can do yourself. Self cultivation is a component of self
realization.
o 2. Proper Order (Govt)
can be understood as the political response. If we arent
born with complete human nature in tact, then what do
we do.
o 3. All Humans Target Audience: In ancient Greek thought,
some human beings are natural slaves. There are some ppl
whose natural way of life is to be a slave. In E. Asian thought
this is not the case. Al humans in the aspect of E. Asian
thought, are capable to flourish.
II. Proper Order: Proper order is akin to politics. Chinese govt has a
slogan, order first, meaning before democracy they require order first.
Proper order (means and ends) can be seen as an end. If you can have a
govt that allows ppl to flourish, then you can have value, therefore it is an
end in itself.
A. End-Human Value
o 1. Peace or War
B. Means to
o 1. Realizations of Human Nature
o 2. Flourishing Society
a. Material (Abundance or Min Sufficiency)

o 3. Moral Values
C. Politics and Govt
o 1. Methodology and Mgmt
o 2. Three Levels
a. Self
b. Socity (Families)
c. Central Govt
o D. The Mark (Indicated) of a Flouishing World
1. Flourishing Families: Family is seen as strong center.
2. Family as Root Institution, kill the root and you kill
the tree.
o E. Proper Order Balancing of Insituitons and SelfMotivations.

October 1, 2010
Proper Order: Looking 2 parts of proper order
One is What
The other is why is it fragile. Somewhere in the near future, bc
humans are what they are. Paradoxical nature of proper order, it
can be seen as fragile, necessary to balance it upon the forces that
are trying to destroy it.
I. How? How can it be implemented. How have east Asian thinkers,
politicians, policy makers, how are they getting to get proper order into
practice. The general logic. Just like Americans think there are certain ways
of politics, there are the similar thinkers in east Asian thought.
A. Coercive Minimization: aregument is today is coercion should be
minimized. A highly coercive govt doesnt want proper order.
Coercion will generate resistance. A highly coercive govt runs thru
lots of law and police.
o 1. Coercion and resistance: a govt that want to rule with
coercion will generate more resistance. Conflict in general is
seen as bad. You dont want to get proper order thru
coercion.
B. Bureaucratic and Fiscal Minimization: This isnt like laissez-faire.
The idea that to get proper order, there should be lots of
intervention like large govt and a middle way. Not too much and not
too little. Proper order requires bureaucracy to protect from
invasion, provide food, infrastructure. Whatever the policy, some
bureaucracy is necessary to get proper order to work.

o 1. The first level needs bureaucracy therefore requires taxes:

Land Tax-East Asia 900-1800AD. Make the bureaucracy as
small as possible and still effective. This is an argument for
balance. A central govt that is small but large enough to be
effective.
o The basic tax for all of east asia is a tax on land. The majority
of the population was made up of framers. The question we
ask is if the bureaucracy meant anything, what was the land
tax . Was it high or low. Over long time, the land tax becomes
fixed. It isnt a insignificant burden, but isnt one that heavy
either. During early 1600-1800 the tax rates were kept low.
Central govts in easia didnt have enough money to efficiently
fight invasions.
C. Virtuous Leadership: In order to get proper order you need
leadership. Once implanted you
D. Beneficent Hierarchy: the world is seen as hierarchical. In
implementation proper order hierarchy exists and has different
qualities. In a sense Confucian thinkers govt has to take into
account practicality.
o 1. The balance of costs and benefits for the ruled: A govt that
is too costly will fall apart. Concussions' dont see utilitarian
relationship but they do see commonality and necessity. It
must be cost effective. If you want your rule to survive you
cant make it so costly ppl resist and you are destroyed. Yet
you have to make it so that ppl respect the govt. almost like
commercial exchange but this is also moral.
E. Merit Maximization: positions of power should be chosen not on
basis of blood, or purchased in corrupt way, but earned thru merit.
Minimalism, merit or achieving power thru real merit, that is how
proper order is achieved. Did east Asian govt try to get power thru
merit. Not all the time. Since emperors came and went, what they
still ran govt thru bureaucracy.
o 1. Civil service: this is east Asian invention.
Examinations China 900-1900AD. All real officials, all
ppl who held power, all are recruited. Not by buying
offices, but by competing in examinations against each
other. In a way it is the invention of merit as thought of
in the west. If they pass the exam, they are capable to
actually rule.

To give sense of exam in china, the more the exams are

seen as a real gate. The pass ratio is 3000 to 1. You
stood a better chance of winning the lottery. The ppl
who passed have to pass a rigorous set of exams.
These are the ppl who run empire, staff empire. They
are tested on hydraulics, math, Confucian classic,
philosophy, writing. Every sentence had to have the
same number of characters. Ever sentence character
had to rhyme with the last sentence of the last sentence
characters.
Testing a whole civilization, all aspects. Not testing
specialist, they want ppl who can quote classics from
memory. Ppl who can compute pi, lawsuit.
o 2. Age (Seniority) and the family: seen as basis of leadership
and respect. Older ppl are treated with more respect in Asia
than US. Those who are older do merit and have achieved the
respect. Historically they are seen as ppl who know something
interesting. What is valuable about is is it is seen as
achievement.
F. Methodology: proper order consists of sys of mgmt. also require
methodology. Didnt come arbitrary will, they came from real
methodology of how to govern humans.
o 1. Intensive investigation of self, society, cosmos (nature)
methodology for understanding where the
characteristics come from
II. Where is proper order necessary? Proper order isnt spontaneous.
Proper order need effort, where does the effort come from.
A. Self (cultivation): whole techniques of trying to do this, order
self. To be virtuous leader or good elder, then understand self.
Cultivate of change self.
B. Society (social institutions , family): institutions so basic to
human life. Family is seen as govt that is not part of bureaucracy it
is autonomous.
C. Central (large-scale) government, three levels: central govt
should provide necessary framework for moral security. Founders
were interested in what ppl could do for their selves and what the
govt could do to provide what they need. What is most important
for ordinary ppl? security from theft, starvation, moral security.
Knowing investment they make in living they wont be taken
advantage of.
o 1. Popular necessary framework of material and moral
security

o 2. Elite necessary framework of elite regulation. Elites are

seen as necessary, but potentially dangerous, they can be
corrupt, cause conflict. Elites are potentially dangerous too.
Elites need to be regulated, and prevented from doing things
lie corruption.
o 3. International necessary framework of international
stability: whole point of central govt is to provide framework
for intl security. If it doesnt protect the borders they expose
for war and undermine proper order itself.
o 4. Co-Participation (Do not do centrally, what can be done
locally): This is similar to federalism, but had no doctrine of
rights. Ordinary families would police neighborhoods. Role of
central govt was limited but not totally laissez-faire.
Bureaucratic minimalism, counties over 1100 in china
and one leader is ruling each. Trying to get the ppl to
co-participate with the govt in a way to keep food prices
stable and food flowing to reduce the severity of food
famine. If you are county magistrate every few weeks
sending list of food prices to Beijing.
III.
Confucianism (Rule - The Three Adaptations) three adaptations
of major change
A. 500BC 220BC: From political crtics to political elite:
o World of the warring states. Saw problem of war as one of
bad govt, absence of proper order. Solution was proper order.
We can offer not magic solution or religion, but real
methodology to support flourishing world. They were in power
long time.
o What made this so appealing to rulers? Why not legalism,
Daoism?
B. 900AD 1700AD Neo-Confucianism (second adaptation):
o 1. Commercialization
o 2. Strategic threat (i.e., Mongols
o 3. Buddhism
C. Third adaptation encounter with the west and beyond (18002000s). this is seen by some as end of Confucianism, but prof
argues against. Even communist china still has ways of following in
politics.
October 4, 2010
The three Adaptations Confucianism. Very elaborate cycle of
Confucian thought broken into three adaptations. Think about Confucianism
as political core of east Asian thought, where did it come from?

I. First (551BC-220BC) from political critics to a political state.

Confucianism is a western term, called RuorTu in east. Historical birth of
Confucius in 551BC. Adaptation from outsiders to a real political elite.
A. Content
o 1. Chronic War. Period of warring states. War wasnt fought
for no purpose but underlying was idea that came from
traditional past that came from common idea there should be
political unifications. This tradition is something that is being
adapted to their conditions like chronic war.
There was belief for traditional civilization. Armies got
large, technology in metal tip cross bows, etc.
o 2. Disintegration of Aristocracy. Being born into noble or
aristocratic family is no longer main belief. There is real social
change. This interacted with the belief of chronic war. This is a
world that is now looking at basic questions. What is now the
basis of political power.
B. One Root, Three Branches, The Knights. Should we view the new
tradition such as old dynasties or looking forward? Ideas in play are
religious, some political, some traditional. All ideas come front a
single rootThe knights: ppl who historically have a real role based
on birth and skills taught in noble families, instead of being knights,
they were involved in politics. Point is the three branches shared a
social background and a role in society that made them like
teachers. Ritual, guardian, guides, from one root come three
branches. Three traditions or sub-traditions of thought that have
impact on Asian thought as a whole.
o 1. Taoism:
o 2. Legalism
o 3. Confucianism
o 4. Study of Self, Society, Cosmos: Common methodology,
humans need methodology.
C. Taoism: almost like religion is interested in religious question:
Who to achieve salvation? Methodology of self cultivation. Flow of
Dao, access power to lead to kind of salvation, interested in self,
not in selfish way, but for self cultivation. Originally best seen as
attempt for salvation thru self cultivation.
o 1. Target salvation thru self-cultivation
o 2. Political withdrawal. Want for themselves to be able to
withdraw from political world. There isnt argument for
politics, but arguments that politics isnt bad but in bad
condition. Real objective is withdrawing from politics so as
elite they can concentrate on process of salvation thru selfcultivation.

D. Legalism: better translated as methodologism. Politics interested

in certain clear questions. Questions should be bent on focusing on
clear problem focusing on peace for single unity of civilization.
o 1. Target resource mobilization and imperial expansion. They
want to find institutions that allow ruler to tap and mobilize
resource of society for efficient warfare, not mindless war but
war for expansion of empire.
o 2. Management institutional and Coercive Control (Rewards,
Punishment). Want to create institutions that can control
populations that create an empire. Institutional and coercive
control, not interested in whether ppl like to be governed or
not. They want to know if hierarchy works thru mobilization of
resources. Very hard emphasis on coercion, govt by rewards
and punishments. Confucians agree. Law codes and
bureaucracy
o 3. The Chin Dynasty (220BC-204BC). Begins process of
imperial expansion allowing existence of competing states.
During this period of time. Chin become dominant, center of
new empire capable of governing large population.
Chin turn to legalism to control legal order of new
emerging political power centering on Chin dynasty.
Confusion point of view from outside was Chin will fail.
o 4. The Self-Defeating Logic of Coercion Cycles of Coercion and
Resistance (Confucian Objection). Cycles of coercion and
resistance. More resistance leads to govt collapse
seen as something that wouldn't work. Confusion
objection
Chin fell from mass rejection. Farmer revolted and this
led to rebellion from the inside and toppled from the
bottom up. The Chin didnt understand this idea of
coercion and eventually led to the fall of empire.
E. Confucianism (Ruor-Ju). Like Taoist self cultivation, legalist ideals
as well.
o 1. Target flourishing. Not just creation of power but
flourishing world for material and morale. There is a contrast
with legalist in broad empire. But they focus on flourishing
world. Very different than Taoist emphasis on withdrawal or
legalist on control.
o 2. Management Proper-order. When Chin collapse, the former
farmer who becomes emperor, the empire is pieced back
together. The Taoists are too focused on self cultivation.
Confucians become political elite. Answer to Confucians. They
become the core of the govt.

o 3. Han Dynasty (204BC-220s AD). Confucians had strategy

that works. Others were self defeating or had nothing
effective to say. Confucianism seen as effective.
F. The Puzzle of Confucius (I am just a man who loves learning and
passes on the way). Tradition that begins own story with real
human who lived from 551-420s BC. Nothing he says implies he is
any better than another. HE doesnt answer deep religious questions
not because he cant but because he doesnt think he can. Why
starting tradition with him?
o 1. Cultural transmitter: part about I am man who loves
learning and passes on the way.
Passing on and adapting a tradition of ideas. Not tying
to create something new, but adapting the best aspect
of human civilization, all human civ.
Starting new tradition, pick someone who is good at
transmitting. This is Confucius.
o 2. Ideal human: leads life making him ideal human, not
superman. Someone with humble life, success and failure.
Seen as a way all humans can live high level of humanity.
Doesnt shrink from facing power, good at criticizing govt,
good at family, and work. Like a model or pattern that anyone
can follow. HOW? Find out what he did and how he lived.
o 3. Analytic Premise: start with premise and then analyze.
Taking what Confucius said as a premise and starting an
analysis of some issue. Historically used as a good place to
start, cultural transmitter and an ideal human.
o 4. Mencius Psychologist: all Confucians believe writing is
enough. If you dont practice than there isnt much relevance.
Interested in how ppl work, thoughts, minds. Interested
in questions like human nature.
o 5. Xun Zi Ritualist (Intuitionalist)
thinking of as ritutalist or institutionalist. Teaching
Confucian principles for politics and society carrying on
timeless principles for the creation of whole society.
II. The Logic of Co-Participation Central Govt, Local Institutions (Ever
Normal Granaries). Co-participation like federalism, but not about laws, its a
way of linking central govt with local institutions to bring about proper order.
In this case how to prevent famine. Confucian solution on how to maintain
food supply. Pvt granaries to relieve famine and control food supply. Govt
money to buy grain to regulate food supply and cost of food not for military
but so all ppl have a way to buy food for a cheap regulated price.

A. Framers Strategic Dilemma Store grain or dont. Small farmer

may own or rent land. Grow enough food each year to feed family,
pay taxes, sell for profit, but also have to make choice. How much
to store against possible that some disaster will occur (fire, insects,
flood, etc.) As rational farmer one asks, what part of surplus should
be placed in storage in case disaster occurs. Store or dont store.
Making wrong choice you might starve, and you might starve if you
store grain.
o 1. If necessary but not sufficient flow avert-severe shortage.
You cant store everything you grow every year. Only can store
so much.
If you can only store 5% is it enough. How much is
enough. Storing too much doesnt leave enough to sell
for income.
Store or not store and hope for the best.
B. Governmental granaries + Local Sufficient
o 1. Targets
a. Producer Price Stability
b. Famine Preemption
o 2. Every year buy and sell
o 3. Presupposes Markets

October 6, 2010
I. The Logic of Co-participation (Ever Normal Granaries). Showing logic
of Confucian govt in historical perspective and how methodology and
mgmt in east Asia and the legacy in contemporary east Asian world. Co
participation thought to work best with institutions not part of
bureaucracy. Govt so small can do many with voluntary participation with
outside sources. In Imperial China, Vietnam, Korea, there is a growth of
granaries. These are public stocks of grain to maintain equilibrium. Part of
what central govt should do is to create conditions where ppl can flourish.
Incentive to give ppl food, if they starve they cant flourish. Confucian
point of view is reduce pressure of these events on ordinary ppl. ever
normal granaries to equal food supply.
a. A. Farmers Strategic Choice: farmers in agricultural econ face
real strategic choice. What percentage of harvest should they
store against possibility the food supply will break down due to
human or natural disaster.
i. Store Grain: it would seem the only rational decision is to
store bc there is always chance food supply can break
down. Not that simple from ag econ history

1. If farmer you cant store all grain. Most grain needed

for seed, market, taxes, investment. Grain like
money. Cant store all it is irrational.
2. Doesnt make rational sense if they save by storing
they arent saving
ii. Dont store grain
iii. If necessary but not sufficient to avert severe food
shortage do not store (50% insurance)
1. If you save 10% of crop and its necessary if things
go bad but not sufficient. If sever shortage occurs
youll eat it fast and have no food. 50% of insurance
policy doesnt insure you, like pouring money away
for nothing.
2. Most of what they could store or save was necessary
but not sufficient. IF you are farmer you will take
chance so you will think to store is a waste.
o b. Ever Normal Granaries (The other 50% of insurance).
Every normal granaries play the insurance policy for acute
shortage. They are govt owned and maintained. Along with
local granaries controlled by farmers.
i. Local Pvt (Social) Granaries Plus Govt Granaries
together can in fact in many cases avert sever
food shortage. This system amount to local pvt
plus govt granaries. Working together that makes
system work. If one breaks down the whole
system breaks down so this prevents that.
Together they are necessary and sufficient to
avert sever food shortage in most cases if
drought, flood, etc.
if no insurance for the outcome, towns farmers,
people, can suffer. Whole point of the system is to
provide nec and suff insurance against outcome.
ii. Local and Ever Normal (Govt) Necessary and
Sufficient (Except for Extreme Cases)
in cases of extreme events they would run out.
They could avert a severe food shortage. It is a
mix that is supposed to rely on co-participation of
local govt and its officials and farmers. Expect
extreme cases had real effect.
c. Targets of Government Granaries. Buy and sell even if no
shortage. When farmers bring crops to market, the price goes
down. Govt buys cheap and govt sells high. This allows granaries to
be fully stocked.

o i. Producer price stability

o ii. Famine Prevention
trying to stop famine before it starts and not to deal
with famine once it starts.
o iii. Incentives for farmers to store:
presence of ever normal granaries that gives incentive
to farmers to store. Govt 50%, pvt 50%.
o iv. Buy and Sell presupposes markets
every year the buy and sell. Buy when low, sell when
high
this brings down prices to prevent hunger. This
presupposes a market economy. East Asian political
thought was never anti commercial. They wanted to
create a balance.
This system would only work in civilization that was
highly commercialized.
d. Subsistence infrastructure. Network of institutions that are
public, private, govt, social work together to prevent hunger.
Confucian thought that saw govt as co-participation of govt ranging
from farmers, bureaucracy, institutions, all to preempt famine.
o i. In Shortage conditions. If shortage occurs
Buy and sell (encourage merchants). Bring grain in not
take out
Loans: if necessary to farmers and consumers
Grants: gift or grant if really hard times hit
II. Three adaptations (cont from Monday)
A. Second adaptation The Neo-Confucian renovation (reformation)
900AD-1700AD. Period of intellectual ferment, result of series of
challenges:
o 1. Challenges: believed had to adapt to protect strategic and
intellectual power. Trying to renovate Confucian thought, not
getting rid of it but improving like old house.
a. Strategic Threat (Mongols)
whole new strategic threat. No threats from ocean
it was from land. Early in 2nd adaptation where we
see Mongols threat east Asian civilization.
b. Commercialization:
can debate who commercialized but agree that
china and all east Asia become more commercial
and merchants are more important. More complex
markets and commercial institutions

point is commercialization is real during period

and neo-Confucians have to face. Have to face
merchant and market power. Commerce is
interesting and important not only as challenge,
but a threat to proper order, and opportunity to
face world in new way
c. Buddhism
comes to china long before 900AD. By 900AD it
becomes mass and pop religion. Bud is salvation
religion, philosophy, view of life and politics.
Comes from India and seen by Confucians as
threat and opportunity.
Neo-Confucians have to respond to Buddhist view
of universe, life, politics. Buddhists could have
provided alt social elite. Had to respond
intellectually. Serious thinkers whose work isnt
for sake of ideas but to have practical effect on
society and culture.
o 2. Neo-Confucianism Globalization
B. Third Adaptation Encounter with the West 1800s-1990sAD. Stops
in 1990s where encounter is concluded.
o 1. New Confucianism
encounter with west seen as new Confucianism
o 2. New Nationalism
angry youth. Highly nationalistic, strong in internet,
critic govt. they are angry but see themselves as taking
Chinese traditions and making it more mainstream.
another encounter with west When CNN ran stories that
was seen as insulting the had Chinese govt threaten to
have CNN apologize or not cover Olympics.
o 3. Yudan
woman who is neo-Confucian. Self cultivation and
bringing preservation to life. She is popular, really pop.
A tradition that is going thru another period do
adaptation.
One of many vital forces in E. Asian politics today.
III. Core and Ancillary Premises (Supporting Premise)
A. Core Premise (Most important) centralizing politics
o Politics understood as leadership and proper order is essential
to human life. East Asian political thought says not only are
politics necessary but they are essential to human life.
B. Proper Order

o Essential for life and flourish. The ever normal granaries are
examples. So everyone can eat and therefore live to be
successful.
C. Pivotal Role of the Ruler: if you believe hierarchy is necessary
then rulers are necessary. Laws are necessary and they are
enforced
o 1. Decision making
o 2. Enforcement
D. People and the Root Policy (Their interests first)
o Peoples interest should come first. Leaders should balance
their interests with interests of others like ppl. this is practical
common sense. Whether in family or state, if rulers dont
think proper order is all that, it is in practical sef interest to
put ppls inertest first or they will eventually be overthrown
like Chin Dyn replaced by Han.
E. Policy as the production of harmony
o Ultimately the production of harmony. Optimizing interests
and balance of gender, class. Minimizing conflict and help to
create a flourishing world.
o Confucian harmony can be seen as orchestra. Of necessity it
needs harmony, not uniformity. Blending it altogether to make
it work.
o Another example of harmony: soup has mixes ingredients and
optimizes. Taking the best of all part and blending them
together.
F. Power as corrupting enabling. See power can be terrible but they
also believe power can be ennobling, meaning becoming noble.
Even though Confucians lived in society with little aristocracy they
saw power as bringing out the best part of human being. Power can
make ppl better.
o Power has two aspects. Tell the difference by how people use
it. The idea of power has many aspects but has two basic:
Can be corrupting.
Selfish advantage
Can be ennobling.
Proper order
East Asian thought never shy about power for these reasons.

October 6, 2010
Film
Neanderthal

35000 yrs ago, faced challenge arrival of another human species.

Story of last time 2 human species lived on planet, only one will survive.
Hunters are formidable team, mother/daughter driven by instinct to
survive.
35k yrs ago south France cold and unforgiving place to live. Ice sheet
grip north euro. Winter temp 25 below, similar to current north Canada.
Wooly mammoth roam. Limestone cave provide shelter.
Protection from cold comes from animal skin cleaned worn as clothes.
Prepare skin fat and meat scrapped w/ flat blade. Teeth used as vice. Teeth
worn from many yrs of use. 7 strong fam grp.
Cave is center of world, within sleep, eat, butcher meat, defecate.
Waste in caves buried then fossilized. Priceless evidence to revolutionize
vision of Neanderthal. Now know they were adaptive and intelligent species.
Details emerging of their lives. Fossilized feces tell what they ate,
bones show how lives plagued by injury and disease. Some have violent and
unexpected death.
2 generations divide old man and yng boy. Childhood is most
dangerous tie, most fossils are children under 11yrs. At 5, boy weaned from
mom tit. Brain size of modern day adult. In such a harsh environment you
grow quick or die. Oldest member life is still hard. Injury and exertion age
him quick. 4/5 Neanderthal never see 40th bday. Scars of 40 yr old show
arthritis and multiple fractions to right arm. Lower half of harm missing
severed above elbow. Severe skull fracture paralyze right half of body and
blind in one eye possibly.
If you stay in clan you need to pull weight so you cant be severely
injured for long. Neanderthal are territorial species. This clan territory is 27
miles. Oldest brother is leader, strongest and most experience orchestrate
the hunt. Hunting deer. Prime deer healthier to eat but harder to catch.
Neanderthal world smaller than today. Arctic tundra in north and vast
stretch of sea restricted their lands. As few as 100k Neanderthal lived within
that border.
Southwest France one of the most densely populated regions, home to
as many as 3000. Must make fire in order to survive a cold night, in the film
it is cold and raining. Key to survival in the cold frozen continent is the ability
to make fire.

Fire is also a means of protection out in the open. Leopards and other
predators prey on the Neanderthal. Hunt begins again early next AM. Target
is not deer or bison. They are now hunting other Neanderthal.
Neanderthal lived in small grps ranging from 8-25. Small enough to
save resources, and not interact other grps.
Why hunt other Neanderthal? Kidnapping female, they can increase
the change to grow size of clan. Women likely transient going from clan to
clan. To live as long as they did they must exchange women. Some
voluntary, some forcible and potentially violent.
Men return to cave after hunting 3 days. Catch unexpected. Dominate
female eels threatened to her position in the clan and must assert authority.
New arrival likely terrified, everything about new clan is diff, smell, clothes,
hair, language. Many scientist believe Neanderthal had no language, using
only gestures and calls. Mouth and throat different probably couldnt speak
like us. Hyoid fossil is found and provides evidence that their throat was
designed for speech and likely to have a language of their own.
At the age of 11, the young female hasnt hunted for long. She has to
be fast and skilful. Next decade will be prime hunting yrs if she lives that
long. Neanderthal world is dangerous and most adult fossils show some kind
of serious injury. Wild animals and landscape are threats. River is swollen
with melted snow. In freezing water newest member of clan survive for a
few minutes.
First time Neanderthal not alone. Men have retuned to the hunt. As
Neanderthal spears werent designed for throwing, killing done at close qtrs.
Driving deer over cliff makes it less likely men injure themselves. If one
person is injured it could affect the whole clan.
The men have o carry kill 6miles back to cave. Neanderthal bodies are
powerhouses and can take much strain. Glaciers of euro shape landscape
and Neanderthal. Bones are strong due to stress. Short heavy bodies reduce
skin surface area to maintain higher body core temp. noses evolve, nasal
cavities are larger with extra capillaries to warm the inside from cold air in
when breathing. Combo of features make Neanderthal first human species
to adapt to the cold climate. They may look ugly but are triumph of
evolution adaptation.
Facing threat from strangers and something evolution hasnt prepared
them for. Homo sapiens, Cro-Magnons, have new way of living and thinking.
1.5M yrs ago homo erectus went from Africa, Asia then to Europe. New cold
adapted species evolve, they are Neanderthal. In tropic areas, the CroMagnons evolve and eventually meet up with Neanderthal.

Each adult Neanderthal has to eat 4K calories a day, and 7k in winter.

Using a razor sharp flint they slice thru deer's body. Neanderthal diet made
mostly of meat. Current Euro diet is 12% meat.
Meat well digested in Neanderthal diet and their bodies evolve to
process this meat. No part of animal is wasted. Skin is clothes, parts are
rope, skull opened to get brain, tongue, eyes.
Old man has to wait turn. Youngest member pays to be opportunist.
Cut in cave, fresh meat will attract other predators if done otherwise. Meat
is cooked. Heat kills parasites and bacteria and help in digestion. Grooming
is glue hat bonds clan together demonstrating, loyally, affection, trust.
Intimate contact is pleasurable release from stress, spending up to 4hrs a
day relaxing under each others touch.
Strong emotional ties forge clan into strong unit ensuring survival until
homo-sapiens come along.
Strength over 1000s yrs are soon to be weakness. So well adapted to
current world they cant face change easy. Limited language hard to seek
alliance, small clans dont play well with others.
2 human species face to face. In harsh world is it possible to coexist.
Homo-sapiens, known in euro as Cro-Magnon. Comprehending is difficult.
Coming from sheltered world they might not know what they saw.
October 8, 2010
Basic concepts of East Asian Political thought, and a way of viewing the
readings. Using these concepts to make clear and concrete without
destroying the meaning.
I. Noteon Neo-Confucian Globalization 900AD-1700AD: Confucian
renovation wasnt confined to china or wealthy merchants. The spread of
Confucian thought was throughout long period using contemporary thought
of globalization. There are indicators from ecology, history, data, that shows
the spread of this thought throughout east Asia and into popular cultural.
Confucianism still inhabits the parts of the whole.
A. Geographical: Confucian thought and practice spreading
geographically. Spreading throughout east Asia..
o 1. China:
o 2. Korea (1380s on) Yi Dynasty: spread of Confucian thought
and principles in Korea. The Korean alphabet and schooling
also affected
o 3. Vietnam (1400-1800AD): spread of Confucian idea and
institutions have major and permanent affect.

o 4. Japan Post 1600: after unification in 1600 similar spread of

practice, institutions, practice, Confucian thought is spread
down to merchants and up to ruling elite.
B. Social-Elite and Popular: ideas of practice, institutions, practice
become part of popular culture.
o By 1400 AD, Confucius honored as deity. People of society
know what the Confucian message is about. This spread
throughout east Asia.
C. Social Network of Thought: neo-Confucian thinkers and activists
linked together national boundaries. Not only Chinese, but Korean,
Japanese, and Vietnamese. They are in contact with each other,
read each others books. This social net of thought transcends
kingdoms and to a local level.
II. Core and Ancillary (Supporting) Premises
A. Core Premise: Centrality of Politics
o Politics doesnt mean what we think of in west. Not creation of
formal institutions or giving free play to clash of interest grps.
The search for correct methodology for mgmt should reach a
target of flourishing by using proper order is the core of the
premise in E Asian thought.
B. Ancillary Premises: Sacred Humanism (From Yeao). Summarize
Yeao in sacred and humanism aspects. Sounds contradictory but
isnt in sense. It is less of focus of secular interest of humans.
o 1. Maximization of Secular Minimization of Sacred Concerns
What does Confucian though think of sacred and human
thought? We should maximize secular concerns and less
sacred concerns. . It isnt more practical, but more of
emphasis on secular instead of sacred.
o 2. Awesomeness
a. Confucian-Keep Warm Theory the old appreciate the
new. Confucius says the young are awe-inspiring but if
they grow old an do nothing they lose the awe-inspiring
nature. If we deny this experience, we deny our
humanity.
Part of being human we cant reduce to secular level. If
we dont we lose full sense of what it means to be
human. The awesomeness of human life that connects
it to way of life.
Three levels of keep warm old, appreciate new.
1. Respect the pas, Keep novel of what is new in
life.

2. Dealing with change of generations, balance

wisdom of age (warm old) and awesomeness of
youth (appreciate new)
3. Believed when Confucius made remark to
student who wasnt wealthy. One part of room
student dad was dying, other part wife giving
birth. (keep warm old, appreciate new). Passage
of life to death, and birth to life.
C. Unity of Humanity (Another ancillary premises).
o 1. Sameness: A parents children can be all the same and all
different. People can be good, cooperative, interest in leading
moral life, etc. Be can be the same.
o 2. Difference: we are men, women, old, young, we are all
different. Some rich, poor, 21st v. 20th century. Urban or rural.
Cant treat one the same as you treat the other. What
makes us a unit is what we have in common, but what
we have that isnt the same.
o 3. Harmony Optimization of Difference: in making public
policy in Confucian point of view dont count votes to see
majority and minority. Dont count numbers to see biggest
grp, find the interests of everyone and harmonize the
optimization of difference of society. Policy shouldnt be who
wins and who loses, but addressing everyone's needs.
D. Conflict of Degenerative (Ancillary Premise)
o Conflict isnt seen as evil, but conflict that pits interests and
ppl against each other, this is seen as a disease. It
degenerates the ability of humans from living a flourishing
life. Something that should be avoided the idea is to eliminate
the underlying source of the disease by establishing harmony
rather than conflict by basic way of ppl live.
E. Quantitative Theory of Evil (Ancillary Premise) Evil as Absence
of the Good. We can try to make it flourishing to help proper order.
Conflict can be seen as evil. Is conflict natural or real? No, it is one
thing that can happen to humans who go down wrong road. By
eliminating it they can bring back harmony.
o 1. Evil Not Real Force or Quality: Notion evil isnt a real force
or part of human nature.
F. Ontological INTERDEPENDENCE:
o 1. Ontology Theory of Reality
What is real and what isnt. How does something come
to be real? Ancient Greeks believed universe made of
particles and each particle independent of each other.

Humans seen as indiv who can be isolated from

circumstances and be real. Notion a real person is a
independent person not interdependent. If you think
things are independent from other things, then you
believe there is power inside that you can make yourself
independently real
o 2. Anything X, XIS Real only in interaction with Y (X, Y,)
That thing X is real only when it interacts with Y.
Ex: Confucian point of view, now such thing as isolated
indiv worth talking about. The interaction with others is
only worth talking about.
Parent child
Ruler ruled
There is no independent anything, only the reaction
with others make it something. Try to strip away
everything in your life, memory, interest, poli affiliation,
friends, etc. nothing is left, just a shell. Only thru
interaction you become
3. Chi Matter - Energy Transformation (Network of the Cosmos)
o Transformation between matter and energy. Historical east
Asian and today, when ppl think of cosmos made of
everything that exists is chi. Your chi, im chi, table, chairs,
everything is chi. Big soup of network or net that makes
everything real. Everything coming to existence comes to
existence thru big network.
o As we age and begin to die our chi dissipates and goes back
to the cosmos. Takes different forms, not a god or thing, it is
the network of the cosmos.
4. Feng-Shui (Wind and Water) Geo-Metric Forces
o application of the concept of chi. If everything is chi, then the
world we live in is subject to forces. These forces have an
effect on it. Feng-shui is a concept to understand the
magnetic forces.
5. Role Theory: theory of human roles, social roles. In East Asian
thought, ppls reality unfolds when interacting with others reality
o a. Parent-Child: what point is a parent if no child
o b. Ruler-Ruled: cant be a ruler if you have no one to rule
o c. You-Me: in some strains Confucian thought, are you
interdependent of me? What you are now only comes out of
the interdependent of others. Without this the rest is
meaningless. East Asian point of view the you/me relationship
of thinking interpedently.

6. Knowledge Action (Theory-Practice): if you know something you

will put in practice. In east Asia there is more tolerance for
censorship than in the US. Theory should and does only exist in
practice and only practice in the form of knowledge.
G. Ecological Family: starting of all thought
III. Ecological Family Core (Most Important) Institution for: family
considered to be the place, given interdependence, people become
humanized, learn actions, like ecology of forest or landscape where
everything is important. Root out of which everything else human develops if
human is bad then society will be bad. Politics in family wont work, politics in
nation wont work.
A. Humanization and Education: family is where we first become
human. Family educates each other, parent child.
B. Self-Cultivation: where you as interpedently indiv begin to learn
to cultivate self and build what is taught by parents
C. Self-fulfillment (Happiness): family most important source for
real happiness. Not job or wealth but family. Human happiness
measured by happiness of family.
D. Leadership and Politics: most important place to build leadership
and basics for proper order
E. Economics (Consumption, Production): when you have meal with
family, there is no charge. There is common economy for the family.
Unit of production, the family business.
F. Cultural and Ritual: family seen as source for culture and ritual.
Life and death, keep warm old, appreciate new.
G. History: pass on culture and history from parent to child. Rituals
and tradition.
H. Spill-over's: bad behavior can spill over to neighbors. Your
actions can affect negatively neighbors or society. If family doesnt
work internally if affects society as a whole.
H. Root and Branch Institutions: like root and branch, metaphor. No
organized society can exist even if govt doing proper role.
If you want to make universal theory, what to make as unit of theory.
Solution is the family. Saying we can build theory on one institutions that
varies widely. All ppl have families.
October 11, 2010
Discuss in detail how Confucian govt would have looked in past
centuries and how it looks in 20th and 21st centuries. Provide rich historical
detail relevant for contemporary and past issues.
I. Ontological Interdependence Examples: theory of reality that says
everything gains thru interdependence. Interdependence means things dont
exist independent in the world.

A. Yang-Yin (Yin-Yang): two opposite forces that are in conflict.

Forces are in the universe and the logic of change. Changes in
forces can be balance on Yan-Ying. Their normal state is harmony
and come in conflict at certain times for certain reasons. Their
interdependent existence isnt struggle but to bring natural change.
o 1. Creative Receptive: makes sense bc it shows
interdependence. Nothing can give or receive unless the other
can do the vice-versa.
o 2. Logic of Chi, Cosmos: seen by Taoist. Historically described
o 3. Interdependent Not dependent
no light-dark, male-female, they are interdependent.
Neither is better or bigger than the other. Each is
interdependent in existence of the other.
Including humans, if you can understand logic of chi
and cosmos you have great knowledge and benefit of
how things work in the world.
Not independent forces in perpetual conflict, it is notion
they are logic of chi.
B. Heart-Mind (Rational-Emotional): Yang addresses.
o Mind, thought, thinking. Mind is not just thought or emotions,
the heart and mind. Unlike some western forms of thought
that try to show distinction, the east Asian thought shows the
emotion is part of ration. Ration and emotion are the heartmind and they are interdependent of the other.
o Ex: Do natural science and make discovery. Discovery is
illustrated in rational terms. The discovery in science doesnt
have emotional source, but this isnt right. You have emotion
to have drive for the ration.
o East Asian thought, the mind is the heart-mind. Rational and
emotional at the same time, the 2 are interdependent. To be
moved by something in the world like child falling in well, the
emotion has a rational response. Confucianism sees people as
rational and rational means emotional. Heart and mind cant
be separated they have to be dealt with together.
II. Imperial China 1368-1911 Strategic Constraints on Ruler Strategy
of Rule: background info and pose question What incentive would east
Asian rulers, Emperors, why would they choose Confucianism over religion or
philosophy as a base of rule? Here is why Confucianism became long lived
basis:
A. 1368-1911: 1360 Counties, 1 Magistrate + Clerks

o 1. Lowest level of imperial govt, translated as county, the

number of counties dont change. Essentially 1360 were
created in early period of 15th century and that is the same
amount to the need of Ch'ing dynasty in 1911.
o Magistrate has to pass civil service exams. Clerks havent
passed exam, but they are there to keep records and collect
tax. The number is small relative to the size of populations.
Bureaucratic and physical minimalisms.
B. Robust (Strong) Demographic Growth: Strong subject to
setbacks, but still move forward overall.
o 1. 1700 300 Million: The population for all imperial china
was 300M, might be conservative figure. Largest empire in
history of world.
o Coercive Rule Cost Scale and Resistance
Small size of bureaucracy relative to population.
C. Robust URBANIZAITON and Commercialization: contrary to old
fashioned beliefs between 1368-1911 there was high level of
growth of real merchant towns and cities.
o 1. Costs of coercive rule economic damage and resistance.
What is cost of coercive rule give high population.
Trying to rule too coercively would cause econ damage.
To rule coercively risks too much damage to econ
structure. Like large population you face resistance.
Middle class and merchant grps are created and they
have the power to resist.
o Great level of commercialization and markets all the way from
elite to ordinary ppl. Some people work in specialized types of
crops, grain, pottery, etc. level of commercialization compare
with euro prior to industrialization.
D. Diffusion (Largely Commercial of Best Practice (very efficient)
Pre-Industrial Technology)
o 1. Examples (Inventions): although arguably other
civilization invented too, but independently china had.
Technology helped commerce grow.
a. Gunpowder
b. Compass: Vital for oceanic international commerce.
c. Porcelain: high quality class and requires
sophisticated technique to create. Some considered the
finest ever made.
d. Iron Plows: they can plow deeply and last long

e. Printing: not printing press in euro sense. Wood block

printing that was made available prior to 1368 that
made market for books. So books of Confucian classics
and other ideas could circulate in economy.
f. True Rudder WATERTIGHT compartments: ships and
ship design. Having true rudder for steering, not first
but independently. Bulkheads created to save ships
from sinking if on compartment was compromised.
o 2. Innovation and Social Communication
civilization that could innovate. Wasnt static and
innovation requires social commutation. Artisans can
communicate with buyers, so civilization that could
innovate and communicate. If ppl can communicate
socially then they have w means for resistance of highly
coercive rule.
E. Intensive (Labor Intensive) Agricultural Technology: Basic
agricultural technique is labor intensive
o 1. Wet Rice Agriculture: like gardening produce grain, rice.
Has ability to use same amount of land over long time to
increase output. Growth in population made possible because
it can be fed. Same amount of land, more labor, more rice.
o 2. High Levels of INTER-FAMILY COOPERATION required for
wet rice cultivation. To grow rice each family cant be on their
own. Each family had to have high level of cooperation.
Irrigate and plant together. Still seen today
o 3. Costs of Coercive Rule Economic Damage and Resistance.
If ruler tried to rule agricultural econ on something delicate as
wet rice, then the output would go down and econ cost is
econ damage. Trying to be too coercive with wet rice would
risk too much econ damage and resistance from the ppl.
When Ming became more coercive they did cause econ
damage until they were overthrown and replaced. IF
you answer what incentives ruler have for lack of
coercion this is point.
F. Foreign Trade: Even govt tried to regulate trade, there is
enormous volumes of overseas commerce. They went to places
Euro had no idea existed, Philippines, Taiwan, South East Asia, etc.
o Even if rulers wanted to regulate foreign trade they couldnt
because of resistance and would risk rule.
G. Pluralism: were there ideas that could provide ideas
o 1. Buddhism: 1368 China affected
o 2. Taoism (Confucian form of govt and politics)

o 3. Islam: large Muslim population, Jews, etc. Muslim

merchant built mosque that still stands from 16th century.
o Alternative Ideas and Ideals, alternative to Confucian rule.
There were other ideas but this considered better. Too many
ideas.
H. Multiple Local Overlapping Institutions (Overlapping
Membership). Looking under level of county, 1360 counties, there is
society atomized by:
o 1. Families: important thru whole historical period discussed.
o 2. Lineages (Big Families): multiple families that could
mobilize up to 2-3k ppl. all have common ancestor, they are
big, well organized
o 3. Villages (North): not just places where ppl live, but villages
with real institutions. They have taxes, certain crops grown,
police
o 4. Temples Associations: common ritual and provide basis for
powerful collective action. Used to irrigate land. Work, farm,
and pay together.
o 5. Merchant Associations and Artisan Associations: make
same product like porcelain, or farmed tea, rice.
6. Secret Societies (Young-Men Examples: TRIADS):
made of young unmarried men. Originally not criminal.
Young unmarried men who did difficult dangerous work.
All things that exposed to great risk, bec unmarried and
away from family, they would grp together in secret
societies for mutual insurance to help if they got sick,
extend money for burial, or protect from employers and
govt. societies were officially illegal.
When dynasty was in decline they came out of
wood work and when Ming dynasty falling secret
society leader takes over.
o 7. Local Militias: creation in helping govt to support and
resist. Also protect from bandits
o 8. Collective Action and Resistance Potential: have power for
collective action and resistance. Rulers knew this, and these
institutions although not big they could act collectively and
help or cause trouble.
If you rule too coercively they could resist in many
numbers in many places. Institutional fact is another
real constraint the strategies of rulers did choose.
III. Significance
A. Confucian Rule and Commerce

o What this shows the Confucian govt was not incompatible

with commerce. Confucian govt tried to further growth of
commerce not retard it. Shows Confucianism, Confucian rule
and commerce were compatible
B. Ideas and Alternatives: not static civilization. Civilization with
pluralism and ppl sometimes did argue for alternative styles of govt.
They had other world views and analysis undercut thru today's
material
o C. Why Confucian Rule? If you're emperor do you rule with
coercion or more subtle alternative. Large scale govt can
survive if they can, according to Confucian, for things that get
ppl to comply. More practical than trying to rule coercively or
not trying to rule at all.

** I. Saw slogan on t-shirt

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. 2 ways to
interpret.
o A. Peter Pan
Never grow old
o B. Confucian Self-Cultivation
Confucius would say this is right. To fully develop
human abilities is something that doesnt happen
automatically.
Tradition that says for most humans we have the ability
to become fully human, but you have to do thru self
cultivation mean growing up is optional and obligation
of self cultivation .

October 13, 2010

Proper Order (China 90-1900): showing how proper order and
Confucian solution to proper order could look like in the level of popular
management.
I. Popular Management + Material and Moral: Material and moral bc
Confucian magistrate it was most important for people. How well magistrate
could manage the popular classes, merchants, farmers, artisans, rich, poor.
Created style or type of govt that isnt unique but distinctive east Asian. Still
seen in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan today.
A. Confucian on good govt: enrich them, educate them
o Ppl all read Confucius and understood what it was about.
(Berry) in reading look how many in kingdom. Now there are
many what to do, Confucius says enrich and educate the ppl.

o Popular management: enrich with material, educate on moral.

o The first public school had real impact.
B. Necessary Framework of Material and Moral Security
o Not to replace private institutions but large scale framework
for security. Long believed and practice the level of low level
central govt has necessary need to provide material and
moral security.
C. County Magistrate (translate title: knows the County) or
popularly Father and Mother Official. Understand the county in
material and moral. Father and mother idea is county magistrate is
important like mom and dad but not really. This shows the
importance of the interface of magistrate.
o 1. Incentives: being county magistrate difficult, required
sheer work. This is difficult for nay ordinary human. They
must have incentive to take civil service exam. If you succeed
it opens door to
a. wealth, status, power
marry children to elites, real power over ppl, land,
b. self-cultivation
being county magistrate is seen as selfcultivation. Demanding mentally and physically.
Higher level of cultivated self.
c popular acclaim
kind of folk lore in counties over empire. Part
culture had to do with how they saw the
magistrate. If he was good he had good acclaim
and approval and vice versa if they were bad.
You could leave a legacy behind where
generations to come would refer to you as
father/mother good to county
d. 3 to 6 years sometime 9 yrs.
In course of serving county, sent to place with
little local connections. Cant serve where you
were born.
This prevents bad forms of corruption that would
cause break down of proper order.
e. central govt gaining popular compliance
getting ppl to voluntarily pay taxes or follow laws,
not become bandits.
It is county magistrate that is monitored by
central gvt. Accounts audited, watched by upper
govt, and ppl could file complaints.

D. County Magistrate Handbooks (Management Books) optional.

Based on long literature from china. Like management books telling
magistrates what to expect, how to deal recurring problems, how to
be good/bad, how to run county, grains, tax collection, etc.
o 1. Wang Hui-Tsu (1700s)
Confucian scholar. Available in part in English
translation.
o 2. Chang Ya Gyong (Korea,1818)
UC translated recently. Most detailed source seen in
English of what county magistrate mgmt
o 3. Magistrates Nicknames (Good, Bad)
ordinary ppl and elites studied magistrate govt. the
nicknames are appropriates.
Someone good at solving legal: is Mr. Good at Law.
Someone violent: Mr. Vampire.
II. Popular Management Material: what to do in terms for collecting
taxes but framework for material and moral security.
A. Local Consultation (Elites and Local Elders)
o Not formal bargaining in parliament. Did involve negotiation
and bargaining. Ongoing consultation with important grps.
Wealthy landowners, merchants, but also ppl below. Consult
about everything, crop prices, weather, famine, taxes. Policies
are shaped according. Shape policy to account for opinion.
B. Tax Collection (In Silver Units): most taxes on land, but most all
collecting in units of silver. China drew much of new world sivler
supply sent to east Asia. China govt then was able to have single
monetary tax in silver units.
o 1. Reliance on self-reporting, self-collection
Sometimes tax was heavy. Magistrate evaluated on tax
collection. Magistrate has sub-officials where big chests
set up to collect silver units. Bureaucracy so small selfreporting instilled. Honesty among ppl required.
Self-collection required so ppl needed to come and bring
the taxes. If not a lot of voluntary compliance then it
wont work.
Ppl saw as cost on farmers, merchants, artisans. What
incentive to pay it given the weakness and small size of
bureaucracy.
C. Physical Order: first and most important task of magistrate is
security and order of county.
o 1. Central govt, county level

a. Large scale military defense: if barbarian invade then

it is up to magistrate to protect
b. Large-scale policing (banditry, piracy)
in civilization like imperial china, there is chance
of large gangs. Trying to eliminate is responsibility
of magistrate.
c. Local institutions, local problems: petty theft, local
violence, too small scall for magistrate and central govt
to know about.
d. co-participation crime waves
areas in provision of physical order or security
where magistrate and central govt to work with
local institutions.
Crime wave a case where magistrate and govt
officials work together to solve problem.
D. Legal judgment (County Court): every magistrate is judgeholds
regular county court meeting at specific times of month. Doesnt
hear all legal cases but case of a single type.
o 1. Exclusive jurisdiction murder
if someone murdered the magistrate is supposed to
solve crime. See body, determine type of death, send
people to catch murderer.
o 2. Local institutions most civil, criminal cases
death with thru local institution. Own courts, own laws.
Magistrate not involved in this process of local law.
o 3. Co-participation: local cases on appeal (200-2000 per
yr): Appeals are where magistrate would get involved.
a. Grave site disputes: go to county court for appeal.
Because of importance of family and ritual, or
feng-shui and reasoning ppl get into disputes over
gravesite or how grave to be arrange with respect
to other.
Good magistrate should be good judge and solve
cases and get off books. Not always the case.
o 4. Petitionary Obligation (Moral, if not legal, Obligation to
Receive Complaints)
complaints about any aspect of life in county, including
magistrates own rule. Taxes too high, bad roads, etc.
petitions still in place today.
Many legal cases that go on appeal start with petition.
E. Standards (Transactions): standards magistrate tries to maintain
at county level

o 1. Standard contracts: as china became more commercialized

more contracts needed. Standard contracts for merchants
needed so transact could be done one std form even if there
was language barrier.
o 2. Land Measures: important for taxation and family property.
Gravesites, farmland, etc.
Make sure no corrupt stds
o 3. Weights and Measures: basic weights and measures
everyone can use regardless of differences. Std units of
measurement for land and other things. Basic standard of
length based on note of flute and note only made thru specific
length
o 4. Copper Coinage (Every transactions):
copper coins are circular with hole in middle so they
could be grouped on strings in large units.
Because low bureaucracy counterfeit is likely and needs
to be stopped.
F. Infrastructure (Large-Scale Investments In): central govt
believed local institutions cant do on their own due to lack of
resources. Investments are overtaken and managed by magistrate.
o 1. Commercial
a. Public Markets: provide commercial and
communication infrastructure.
b. Roads, Bridges, Canals: too much for small towns to
invest in. partly for commerce and partly
communication
o 2. Hydraulic (Irrigation, Flood Control): large scale irrigation
projects. Magistrate provide public and sometimes prvt funds
to maintain and build.
north china prone to flood. Yellow river whole section
where it flows above ground. River is dyked up and
manmade structures prone to breaking.
Essential for magistrate to make certain flood control
mechanism kept up.
o 3. Subsistence (Granaries): to protect market price
G. Selective Regulation:
o 1. Monopoly and Competition
competition is good but not always. Break up or
encourage monopolies.
III. Moral Management: magistrate has more than the problem above
listed. Other equally important half is the moral responsibility for magistrate.
Following moral functions.

A. Exemplary Rule: set example for county. Be frugle, take small

gifts, but to be brutally corrupt is wrong. Not all followed but most
did.
o Show what it means to be real Confucian leader
B. Exhortation Warning and Encouragement Be thrifty
o Supposed to exhort ordinary ppl to pay more attention to
other areas that might get les attention. What might happen
if things are done a bad way.
Be thrifty. Some magistrate really exhort the need to be
frugal, save invest, use of public signage.
C. Public School Management: east Asia one of first civilization to
provide publically funded school. Not always work well, mostly for
men, magistrate is superintendent of the school. Ideals beyond
level of family. Primary function of public school is extend family
education
o 1. Subsidies: upkeep of school and money spent properly
o 2. Performance: students learning and passing.
D. Ritual Promotion
o 1. Incentives for people to do them, rituals important to
Confucian point of view.
a. Law codes: strong ritual flavor. Formal law codes
written in ritual terms with relationship to family and
non family member.
b. rewards families: grp like families who particularly
careful performing Confucian rituals; honoring dead,
family, etc.
c. subsidies honoring the worthy: ppl who want to do
rituals but dont have the means.
Ritual where many family honor worthy. Often
done in temple or ritual space or ritual at the
temple of literature.

October 15, 2010

Second Level of proper order: elite regulation. Give sense of two most
important lasting legacies of the Confucian attempt to find and create proper
order for a flourishing world. Necessary framework for security thru
whatever means are necessary to be secure in moral lines. Most important
lasting legacy is the widely accepted belief by elites and normal people the
primary role of govt is to create this necessary framework.
If you go to east Asia and pole people for opinions the necessary
framework for security and moral security is necessary

I. Popular Management + Lasting Legacies

A. Government as a necessary frames work of material and moral
security. What should govt do, Is not about its size but how to make
competent or effective.
B. The search for Competent Government. Effective. This is seen
in19th, 20th, 21st centuries. E. Asians seek the requirements in their
govt even today. To the extent govts do this they may not be
popular but they get compliance.
o 1. Not Big or Small but how to make govt work in a
competent or smart sense.
o 2. Interventionist: this isnt argument meaning govt should
replace pvt market, but to intervene in areas of life to make
life prosperous.
o 3. Capable: making the govt work.
C. Even if you talk about Japan, China, Korea, the lasting legacy of
conficuan thought has been dimension of this required framework of
a govt that works.
II. Elite Management necessary framework of elite regulation. Going to level
of elites and elite mgmt. another role poli institutions fill is nother kind of
framework focusing on elites people with wealth status and power. Best way
to introduce
A. Mecius The King Aw the Ox (DeBary): encounter one king
with problems.
o King not competent, moral (lazy, cooupt and vicious). In
advising this ing, the king want the secret of govt, how to
improve his rule, knows the subjects dont like him. The
subjects are skeptical of king. Mencius says he saw king
watch the ox taken off for butchery. King says he couldnt
want the ox get butchered because it was like human getting
executed. Mencius says king is lazy and doesnt understand.
People thought he used cheaper animal a sheep instead of ox.
The people should know what he used sheep instead of ox.
People would have a reason to support and not oppose.
o Kings problem is power, but lack of knowing what to do with
the power. He only looks to short term like sacrifice of ox and
not the welfare of the kingdom.
o Mencius says t difficult to be member of elite, requires hard
work, recognition so the people you rule are like members of
family and if not then you're not effective ruler.
B. Bad Rulers (Elites). Mencius says bad elites come in many forms.
Problem is they dont do things that make good rulers. Not that
they are elites, they are necessary in hierarchal world) but they
are:

o 1. Indolent (Lazy). Like king who saw ox, concerned with here
and now and not future
o 2. Corrupt (Avaricious): care about power and less about how
power is used. They undermine own power because they
become greedy
o 3. Violent (Vicious): like king who saw ox, he has fondness for
war. Mencius asks why you like war? War for own sake?
o All are problems but problems that can be corrected. Elites
can be good or bad. All problems can be corrected but
regulation is necessary to correct.
C. The General Problem INCENTIVES. Ironically elites because
they have surplus of wealth and power, the incentives to be good
must outweigh incentives to be bad. Unlike ordinary people who
have to work hard bc no money or power, elites have:
o 1. Surplus resources (wealth, power, time).
More money they get taxes. Have power of
bureaucracy, and they have time. If they make
mistakes due to laziness, corruption or ineffectiveness,
the time it effects them is long. Short term goes a long
time
o 2. Creates MORAL HAZARD (Morale Hazard)
being an elite creates potential moral or morale hazard
problem. Lots of wealth and time before mistakes finally
cost.
o 3. Analogy PERFECT Fire Insurance: if all elites have this
problem what is it like
afraid of fire and cautious. Get wealthy so you buy
perfect fire insurance that will reimburse against any
kind of fire no matter what. Now you have perfect
insurance you are no longer afraid of fire. Why be
afraid. If you burn your own place down you are fully
reimbursed. You are more likely to be less careful and
increasingly careless and wreck less.
Problem with being elite is this hazard. If they make
bad decision the ppl who suffer immediately are those
who are ruled or governed.
They can make bad policy in econ. Problem is elites
exist, problem is finding a way to need moral hazard
problem. Get out of moral hazard problem.
o 4. Paradox of Rationality: in Confucian tradition human
rationality leads to good or bad consequences. Sometimes
better r worse off. This is problem facing elites.

a. Self and Other Incentives: a good ruler is one who

can balance interests of self and the interests of others.
Bad rulers wont do it, not that they cant.
b. Long-term/short-term: a bad ruler doesnt account
for time. Rational ruler looks at long and short term.
Bad ruler looks at something they may do something
that looks positive now and may look bad at the end.
Giving everyone $1M makes you look good and
reelected. Where is the money coming from? The
economic impact on something as silly as this.
Going after popularity and politics. People looking
good in the short term and not looking at the
long-term result.
Surplus of time is a moral hazard.
o 5. how to overcome how elites can see their position is
paradoxical. Sophisticated understanding of elites. Not
because they are elites but the characteristic problem faced
and that problem is lack of incentives.
D. Confucian Solution: maintain still has lasting legacies in e Asian
thought and culture today.
o 1. Institutions: never naive or stupid about institutions.
a. Monitoring of Bureaucracy (Example
Inspectorate). Lack of regulation or too much a real
problem now in US. Historically the county magistrates
were regularly monitored to make sure they werent too
corrupt or lazy or violent. Confucian knows institutions
give incentive.
If a ruler will be punished for making bad decision
then they are more likely to act rational
o 2. And moral character: equal emphasis balance on
institutions and moral character. Institution are never enough,
equally necessary the morality of elites on their own even if
institutions dont work they will act rational.
Helping to develop human nature to make the right
decision.
o 3. Why are institutions not sufficient:
a. Who Rules the Rule Makers! (Institutions are people)
If ppl who right rules of the people who are ruling,
what kind of rules are they lilkey to create. They
have rules that are easy to cheat, that arent
transparent. Some human has to create an
institution, institutions are ppl.

If moral character is strong it will work likely, if

weak they are likely to fail
E. Power constraint mutual obligation and morality. E Asian
tradition, constraint on power where used in bad ends, power
constraint is important. Morality where ppl understand the mutual
or shared obligations. If shared obligation of state rule this will
provide necessary moral character required to rule.
o 1. Power as corrupting or ennobling:
power can make people bad like king who saw ox. Or it
can make good, noble, and heroic.
o 2. Reciprocity and hierarchy: everything said up to this point.
Hierarchy even now is seen as natural, part of being human in
family, govt, biz. If its natural it can be good or bad.
If hierarchy it has to embody reciprocity. If you want ppl
to support you have have to do good things for them. If
you see mutual obligation then you see that world will
work well if you get elites to have incentive where
reciprocity will work better than lazy, greedy, violent.

Morality and practice of morality as ritual is central not only in

society but also govt.
III. Material management: inequality is increasing in PRC. Since 1976
with econ growth, the # of ppl in poverty has lessened more than any other
time in world. But there is greater growth in econ groups and richer are
become less socially responsible, not healing society, not good at elites. In
east Asia inequality since WWII is about what elites who benefit most do
with what they do with wealth, money. Ppl in China dont see rich as bad,
but rich are irresponsible with the way they use it. Someone who has lots of
power and wealth to do good in fact do not.
A. Service incentives
B. Central Government Civil Service Exams
C. Local Service Incentives (Power and prestige)
o 1. For local service
o 2. Leadership of local institutions
o 3. Social Investment (Examples: Irrigation, Charity)
D. Common Characteristic Confucian Life Style
o 1. China Gentry (Shen-Shr)
o 2. Korean Yang Ban
o 3. Vietnam Notables
o 4. Japan Post 1600 SAMURI
IV. Moral Management

A. System Cultivation (Elite Academies)

o 1. Moral Education
B. Ritualization
o 1. Institutions Interact with Character (External/Internal)
V. Lasting Legacies
A. Elite Regulation
B. Inequality and Social Responsibly

October 20, 2010

Today's lecture two fold. Cover elite mgmt. lasting legacy of political thought
and behavior of elites. How elites made and understand.
Second part will go thru Friday and Monday next week. Focus on Confucian
thought and its importance in east Asia and tradition at elite and popular
levels.
I. Elite Regulation Material Management: east Asian point of view elites are
problematic. They arent bad, but necessary. They have resources to become
destructive and harmful. They can undermine themselves and proper order.
Power or being an elite is potentially corrupting and potentially ennobling.
East Asian thought/practice is more positive. Never been sense that elites
are troublesome but they have potential to do good. In societies like china,
how can poli institutions and culture lead to good rather than bad outcome.
Historically popular mgmt as incentives seen as elite regulation.

A. Service Incentives (Social, Political service): to get elites to do

good rather than bad give them incentives to do service. Thru much
east Asian history there is tension for the best way to get elites to
do something for the good. If elite will do anything that is
constructive and positive they should have incentives.
o Service outside the family, service begins within the family.
For elites the issue is bigger and can be world wide. How to
get hem to participate in such a large good.
B. Civil Service Exams: exam was mechanism, institution, that
created incentive for elites to do good. To become elite you had to
pass the exam which was hard. They had no choice but to be of
service in bureaucracy.
o Try to shape whole elite in political service naturally thru civil
service exams.
o Try to shape elite ID from narrow concerns into direction of
social and political svc. The exam could only work for a tiny
section.
C. Local Service The informal service elite: Since not everyone can
take how to give the opportunity. Institutions and culture in E. Asia
developed over centuries to engage in a level of svc at local level.
o 1. Linking local status (prestige) and power to local, social,
and political service. This created a large in service elite that
linked local power to local political svc. If you didnt pass
exam in china and didnt want to be just a landowner or
scholar, you could engage in informal local level svc. The local
elite is defined by local service. Look for ppl that have certain
prestige or power thru their good action in local level. They
could still be corrupt and vicious, but they had to do good
among the local level. What kind of service?
a. Charity: taking care of those who cant care
themselves. Make pretense of providing with firewood,
charcoal, food etc even if they had to dip into family $$
$
b. Conflict resolution: since so much of what we think of
law and jurisdiction is thru govt, in the local area the
local svc elite would deal with the issues. Not handled
thru formal courts but thru the formal fuctions of local
svc elite.
local infrastructure investment: neither pvt Market nor
govt can invest in local infrastructure at small local
level. They had incentive to help build infrastructure at
local level.

investment in small-scale irrigation, transportation,

granaries. Broad in scope
D. Wide Diffusion of the Local Service Elite Model:
o 1. China Gentry (Shen-Shr)
gentry is misleading sums pics of England in 19th
century. Not defined by govt post, but what they did.
They did local svc in china. The Sehn-Shr arent nobility
or class, they are drawn from many classes. Defined by
gentry and local svc model.
o 2. Korea Yang Ban
aristocratic background thru inheritance. Yang ban got
bad press, seen as corrupt and vicious, collaborate with
Japanese resistance.
o 3. Vietnam Mandarins, elders
these are ppl in Vietnam mandarins. They didnt hold
bureaucratic office. Sometimes called elders in resolving
conflict.
o 4. Japan Bushi (Samurai) Post 1600
toughest and least likely. Most aristocratic and place
where nobility most entrenched for long time. Very
unlikely this Confucian model had much effect.
In 1600 after unification of Japan, it becomes more and
more interested in the political elite. Question of
samurai was what was their relevance. Change to
Confucian style of local political and service elite.
E. Confucian Style of Life: they all share Confucian style of life. Not
just reading and quoting text but living a way, at least for show, of
svc. The ppl were literate and understood tradition. This is what
links together.
II. Moral: in east Asian tradition the moral is important as much as material.
Investment of sources to create a framework. Pointed out last week the
Confucian solution was material. Other part is self cultivation.
A. Systematic training in self-cultivation: basic moral beliefs not to
be corrupt. Want to be moral to be beneficent to moral svc. E. Asian
famous for long tradition of academies.
o 1. Academy tradition: not just accounting or skills but a
Confucian way of life. Target not to create engineers but have
moral incentive. Seems to many ppl to have impact on way
elites behave.
B. Moral Education: long been sponsored and important in every
level of society. Original purpose of Confucian schools is to teach
moral truth as understood.

o Significance: idea is no matter what knowledge you know,

how to make weapons, chemist, you cant be complete human
or effective leader without knowing morality and how to live
life. Life fulfilling and positive. Not just a skill in reasoning but
a whole way of life
C. Ritualization Performance as changing being. Ritual isnt seen
as ceremony but something that teaches and changes. East Asian
point of view ritualizaiton is one of the most important part of being
human.
III. Lasting Legacies: even today in E. Asia today there is powerful
consciousness.
A. Elite regulation (need for): Necessary and in need of regulation.
If ppl in china are talking bad about govt, they are saying elites are
necessary and potentially dangerous
B. Inequality Hierarchy and social responsibility: some dimensions
of inequality have been lower in Japan than in US, true of Korea and
Taiwan. Even today in east Asia social and political inequality is
troubling.
o We might think humans dont like inequality. In east Asian
point of view might be different. Inequality is seen same in
CA or NE.
o What elites do with status and power. Build hospitals, charity?
Or support their families and selfish. Criticism isnt inequality
but elites dont act responsibly. More they act responsible
more are accepted. Less acting less accepted

I. Moral Theory and Practice (Confucian East Asia): given great emphasis
and moral education in E. Asia look at what E. Asia understand morality and
contrast to western intuitions. Confucian isnt starting point, but informs
habits of E. Asian ppl.
A. Mencius Carving the Willow wood. Easier to understand. Part of
Mencius was politics. Wants to build proper order and govt. he also
interested in morality. What is morality and what it should be and
practice. Mencius engaged in debate (DeBary). What is morality
debate all about.
o 1. Mohists (Utilitarian's): debating Mohists. Think of as
utilitarian's. Very strict morality. Should morally treat every
human with same intensity of love and moral focus as you
give to members of your own family.

What follows is the idea that making public policy you

look at utility and how to make most ppl well off as
possible.
Mencius unhappy with mohists approach. Mencius
debates with mohists and proposed by mohists saying
making ppl moral is like making bowls from willow wood
bend and shape. They have to be forced and shaped
from outside to inside. Response is it the nature of the
wood to be bent. If you teach morality in such a way
they will flee. You cant have morality that works that
loves everyone equal. If you think you can then you
have to force it on ppl and not natural and they will
resists.
o 2. Yangists Self First: Mencius also unhappy with this
approach. They put self-first. Although yangists arent
anarchists, there are ppl who thought its too hard to be
moral.
Yangists say I wont damage my finger to save whole
empire. Response is yangists are stupid and wont do
what they can do they expose themselves to be trivial
and meaningless.
B. Costs of commitment: what Mencius is really talking about. How
to evaluate a morality. Just std to compare for useful reason the
cost of commitment. What it costs to be committed to certain
morality. Is it high or low. Does it cost a lot in time, $$, resources.
Can you live it? How much cost you to follow principles and virtues.
o 1. Maximum hypocrisy: Mohists are maximist. Mencius says
you cant use this in the real world and is maximum cost. One
reality that is so costly you expend so many resources and
wont work and is unnatural. Ppl will reject and ppl who accept
it are likely to succumb to illness like hypocrisy.
Treating everyone like parents is hypercritic bc using
resources for parents to others is taking it away from
parents.
o 2. Minimal trivial: Yangist. Suppose have morality on one
principle, dont eat kids. Not doing that is trivial. Should I give
to charity, should I help homeless, political ideas. How to look
at larger issues.
o 3. Balance (Mean, Middle): try to find the mean, the doctrine.
The real middle. Balance moral principle in such a way it is
costly enough to cover many life situations otherwise will give
real answers to real problems. Not too narrow either.

Mencius says they extremes will see either side doesnt

work and ill eventually come to the center.
C. What is morality?
o 1. Moral principles (values, virtues)
a. honesty
o 2. Force of ought
D. Why morality? (Why be moral?)
o 1. Divine Command
o 2. Practical benefit (pragmatic)
o 3. Rational compulsion
o 4. Development of human nature
E. How
o 1. Choice (do or dont)
o 2. Way of life (skill)
o
October 25, 2010
Continue with moral theory and practice. Political significance.
Conclude on Wednesday and theory and practice and why its been so
important in E. Asian politics .
E. Asian concepts of war and peace will be discussed on Wednesday as
well.
Today much more complete about E. Asian thought and practice than
what has been discussed earlier in the course. Discuss what is the greatest
difference between the east and the west. One distinction drawing today:
the moral values and virtues remain important in E. Asian Culture today.
They can be understood as nouns and verbs. Things you can apply to real
life and what you do.
Much of our moral thinking has come to center on what should our
basic principles be. The basic moral problem in the west is what should I
choose. Honest/dishonest, good/bad person.
China morality is thought about practice and performance. What you
choose to apply on what you shouldnt do. Living morality as a way of life.

I. The Logic of East Asian Moral Theory and Practice: one basic point of
difference with western traditions, in east Asia no distinction has been drawn
between right and good.
A. The Right is the Good (All Life is Moral Life)
o In the west we have become more and more to carve out
good life for indiv. Create a good life. The big moral questions
are dealt with human rights and duties, and become more
and more of law. constitutions and legal codes.

o East Asia it is much more the practice and purpose. All

aspects of life, choosing to be engineer, lawyer, plumbers,
everything is how to be a good person in all areas of life. Not
just law.
o All life is moral life, not some area that is free of this
B. Virtue (Value) based. Value or virtue is end or goal that
someone should attempt to achieve. These or moral questions.
o 1. Audience dependent: acting morally from this point of view
is making the right moral choice no matter what others think
about you and your decision. It isnt a matter or choice or
conscience, it is always other ppl at the center of attention.
How you respond to your moral action.
o It isnt acting to get a response of applause or happiness, it is
acting morally because it is the right thing to do.
o 2. Excellence: oriented towards excellence. You can be more
or less excellent, or moral. Judging from this standpoint is not
saying they did something moral, but how much moral. Not
simply making moral choices,
o 3. Happiness: what being moral excellence should lead to
happiness. If you are morally good and excellent you should
achieve happiness. If you can flourish life around you, doing
what is morally right you should have happiness. Morality is
about making happiness for humans.
This is also elitist. Some humans will be better at
morality than others. There is a problem of moral
leadership that isnt the same in the west.
C. Needs based (wants and needs):
o All humans have a need of what they want or what they need.
Things to live, have flourishing life. Education.
o This type of practice is based more on needs and less on
wants. In the west, wants and needs have equal weight.
o Like choosing a hamburger and saying you need to eat. What
is more important is having food, the hamburger should not
be given the same moral weight.
D. Morality as Mutual Obligation
o West morality is the right, like right and duty. In east it what
you owe me and I owe you. We are all obligated to humans in
someway. We are deeply obligated to each other. Primarily the
family.
o Question isnt what I should choose to do but what are our
obligations to each other.
E. Morality as Team-Production (Team work, collective action)

o Because this is virtue, values based, that means being moral

doesnt mean making choices. It means working with others
towards a common goal. Morality involves working with other
ppl, it is teamwork. Morality flows from ration, social
cooperative beings, the issues have to deal with cooperation.
o East Asian choices, given obligation to a human in need, it is
a question of acting. If the other member is unconscious you
still must do what is best for the team.
F. Morality as a way of life (Process, performance)
o Not principles applying to cases. In east Asian point of view,
morality is a way of life. Process, performance. Not what you
think moral principles is but how you act, behave. Those ideas
reinforce notion that morality is a way of life.
G. Morality as
o 1. Skill: strive for moral excellence. Like being good parents,
chemist, carpenter. Requires teamwork, its a skill.
o 2. The Need for Leadership (What if others are moral failures)
if morality involves interdependence teamwork, virtue
based. If trying to be moral but others are moral idiots.
For whatever reason they arent good at morality. What
happens? There has got to be ppl who are better at
being moral than other, who can lead others in moral
action.
Given this is about mutual obligation, teamwork. What
happens if others are unable to act moral. Some ppl
need to lead when it comes to moral issues.
o 3. The need for judgment:
morality is way of life, skill, teamwork. Means you cant
reduce morality to code. It isnt categorical, straight
fwd. has to be judgment.
From this point of view, lying is justifiable. If it stops
something terrible from happening, it could be the
better decision. There is no9 clear cut simple set of
principles.
H. The basic question (given interdependence): given need for
defining thru judgment our mutual obligation and interdependence
thru teamwork, basic question is:
o 1. Not what should I choose: this is western question.
o 2. But how should we act? Not what should I choose to be
moral, but how should we act.
Family is good example. Sometimes family has deep
moral problems. So not how do I chose, but how we act
together.

II. Moral Virtues (Values) Nouns (Goals), Verbs (Process, Performance)

Yao. Nouns/Verbs, basic moral values/virtues can be understood like a
nouns. A goal to reach, harmony. Teamwork is a verb, being moral is action.
A. Virtuous Achievement (Virtuously Achieve): if there is one thing
we know of E. Asian culture, it is achievement oriented.
Achievement isnt something that is good in terms of getting more
$$ or better job.
o 1. For self and others: put on earth to achieve as much as
you can. Achievement is highly prized and still major
virtue/value. When you achieve something you can only get it
if you achieve it for you and for the benefit of others.
o Virtue is audience dependence, happiness.
o Achieve for the self and others, its the balance of achieving
for own self and others.
o Virtuous achievement can be seen as how to act, this is the
verb function.
o East Asian thought and practice is about acting not taking
principles and applying them.
B. Harmony (Harmonize). This makes it more real, not the abstract
state.
o 1. Optimize (Best). Harmonize means to optimize. Reduce
conflict, and harmony because it will bring out the best in
differences.
o East Asian moral theory says to act. If friends are fighting you
must act to reduce the conflict to bring the balance back.
C. Ancestral Continuity (The Family Value). We are all born into a
family, and what are the obligations to that family. Obligation above
all is continue family line.
o 1. Continue the Ancestral (Family Line)
a. Obligation to past and future. See yourself and
parents as part of ling family line from past and future.
Make sure it doesnt die out and become extinct.
We are obligated to all our ancestors in some way.
Because without them no us, our obligation is to
pass life on. Look to the past and what is the
obligation. It is a deep moral obligation to
continue the family line. Look to future and why
you shouldnt care if you dont have kids. But who
will remember you when you are dead? Who is
going to give you a face of immortality. Your
future kids will pass on life to future kids to feed
your hungry ghost

in imperial china one for the most humiliating

punishment was tattooing. It was considered a
violation of the body that you should return the
body in a condition in best condition as you can.
b. Model (Like Politics)
if we can understand how family woks, morally,
then correctly or incorrectly we should be able to
apply what we know to areas of the central govt.
D. Reciprocity (Justice). Justice is reciprocity or mutual obligation.
How to divvy up land, money, prestige.
o 1. Proper Shares
in west we say it should be done equally.
o 2. Equal or unequal (Circumstances)
In the east it depends. In acting reciprocally, we could
do it equal or unequal it depends on the moral
obligation.
If Magagna helped me get into law school I am owing to
him for the rest of my life, respect, gifts, taking his side
if he is in argument whether I agree with his side or
not.
See movie Joy Luck Club
E. Flourishing (Make flourishing)
o You have to live a moral code.
F. Completeness (Self-Cultivation)
o You are considered to have obligation to fully cultivate self. To
know self about what you are capable of and then realize it. If
you know for example you have genius for something, it is an
obligation you must do to fully develop it. If you dont you are
hurting yourself and others.
o If you have math skills but rather play guitar, you are not
flourishing yourself or the people around you.
III. Corel Most Fundamental Moral Virtue (Value)
A. Ren2
o 1. Humanness (Compassion, Benevolence, Humanize)
o 2. Rational Empathy and Sympathy (Positive or Negative)
o 3. Establishing Self by establish other and others by self
o 4. Policy Maxim (Prescription Timely Help, No Unnecessary
Harm)
o 5. Strategy
o 6. Given Interdependence

October 27, 2010

In citing evidence to the question for the midterm will be leaned more
towards the DeBarry book and less so for the Yao book. Yao will not come
into play until the final.
I. Care (Master) Moral Virtue (Value Ren2) Ren, Generic Human, Two
Yao, DeBarry, Daniel discuss this. This master or core moral value is
Ren. Run2 , first Ren 1 is a generic human being walking forward
combined with another. Moral virtue or value, not like a moral
principle you think about and then apply. If you really understand
what its about you can think of it as a strategy.
A. Strategy (Given) Interdependence
o Thought of in the west as strategic thinking or state based. In
the east a strategy is thinking of real life situations and how
to apply them in the real world.
o Master core virtue or value. Use it as a strategy given the
interdependence with other humans
B. Rational Empathy (Understanding) and Sympathy (Correct
Emotional Response.
o 1. Positive or Negative. Not something you just feel but
something you think and feel. We start thing of Ren as
interdependence.
o Ren says to approach rationally and personally. First thing to
do rationally is empathize with them, understanding.
Rationally understanding the situation of others.
o Because of heart and mind balance, if you rationally
understand a situation, then you should have the correct
response. Sympathy is the correct rational emotional
response. Whether it be positive or negative.
C. How do I do it?
o Establishing self by establishing other and establishing
others by establish self.
o This doesnt apply to Ren, but to any situation involving moral
issues. How to put yourself in a situation to succeed in life.
o Ren says is to establish self by establishing others, and
establish others by establish self.
o If you're going to do this for yourself you have to do it for
others. If you want to go into biz and make money moral way.
Ren will teach you if you want to succeed in biz you have to
establish others. Take them into account and help if you're
going to succeed.

o If you want to help poor, you have to help get out of poverty.
You have to have the material means to help them without
having the means to help them. You have to be established.
You have to take care of self before you can take care of
others.
o In a crisis you have to help self and others, you cant cut this
part.
D. Policy Maxim (Guideline, Target)
o Timely help, no necessary harm
o Maxim is not hard/fast rule, its rather a guideline for a target.
The idea is if you want something that comes out of Ren 2 then
what do you need to do in other areas of life to make this
happens. There is a guidelines or a target you should aim to
hit but not a hard fast rule for what to do in all circumstance.
o Timely help and no unnecessary harm. If ppl need help then
you help, if they dont leave them alone.
E. Balance courage and nurturance (nurture)
o Idea that human nature has tendencies. 2 are moral virtues
and values. So we wont act foolishly like a crazy person.
Courage is willingness to be brave
Nurture is the willingness to nature. Help when they
need it and leave them alone when they dont.
F. Honor and Shame
o In some circumstances Ren will lead to honor when ppl need
honor and shame when they deserve shame.
o One thing we need to do in life, is honor/shame when
deserved. Particularly in the family.
II. Moral Code? No, but moral methodology five Constant Virtues and five
Great Relationships (Wu-Chang, Wu-lun). Westerners in 19th Cen. thought
that civilizations like china had not true morality. They were looking for rules
that could be applied to situations. This has opened long debate whether E.
Asia has a moral code like 10 commandments, declaration of indep, or
whatever.
A. Logic
o 1. Methodology. Moral methodology still taught to children
today. Yao calls 5 constant virtues and 5 relationships.
Methodology is different from code.
a. Techniques. Like learning techniques of polis ci or
carpentry. Showing the limits of a practice.
b. Limits (upper and lower). Moral methodology has
certain techniques. Not a rule. Limits show the upper
and lower level what it means to treat ppl in a moral
way.

c. MAXIMS (Guidelines or TARGETS). Instead of fixed

ruels applied by choice, methodology has guidelines or
targets. Dont apply every time. Some cases Ren might
be appropriate, others it will not be.
d. Model of Reasoning (Not fixed Rules). Like
methodology in politics to bring proper order, the
politics and politics of family is a mode of reasoning.
o 2. Constants (Generally useful). Generally useful maxims or
targets.
3. Relationships (Institutions where five virtues are)
a. Most important daily lives
b. most developed strongest, learn models we can
apply outside the relationships and extend to greater
application
o 4. Models- extend by graded application. Graded in a sensible
way to institutions outside the family
B. Ren2 (Human, Compassion, Humanness) all these words have in
common the idea of people and interdependence. To be humane
and human is the underlying idea.
o 1. Core (Roct) Institution Parent- Child
what could be more demanding of Ren2 then the
relationship of parent-child.
C. Yi-Justice (Rightness in mutual obligation). Exactly the idea of
right and good.
o 1. Ruler-Minister. Most important in daily life and provide a
model of application. In a relationship of Ruler and Minister
there is potential for abuse. Ruler and minister relationship
show about power and how to deal w/ it.
o In family the father acts like the ruler and the mother acts
like the minister.
D. Li-Ritual Propriety (Civility, Respect)
o 1. Husband-wife. Best way to interpret this idea is civility and
respect. Humans are all different. Civility is the outside
behavior we should treat other people with.
o Treat people with a civil manner. Not humiliate people and not
degrade them or treat them like things.
o The most important bond between husband and wife is not
romantic love is respect. This kind of respect relationship can
be seen as providing a model to others outside the family.
E. Zhr Wisdom
o 1. Elder-Younger siblings

be all you can be. Not to be this is immoral, it is taking

away part of humanness and humanity. Interestingly
where wisdom is most important in daily life is siblings.
The relationships of bro/sis of different ages is difficult.
Brothers and sisters treat each other with strategic way
at times.
F. Xin-Trust, not stupid trust, but honest, transparency.
o 1. Friends. What you should do is be honest and transparent,
and know that sometimes people may not be. You trust and
verify. Make certain your trust, and your transparency is
merited and warranted.
o If you cant trust your friends they are no longer your friends.
III. Problem of Moral Education. Given in this tradition, ppl have the
tendency to be moral, how in fact can ppl be educated to develop the
potential. Only way is thru education. Ppl have to learn about morality thru
action and not assume human nature makes us moral, we have to do
something to help it grow. How can we do moral education in a way that
works.
A. Words telling ppl what moral thought is about.
B. Texts to put into texts the words that help to teach
C. Rituals - There is something missing between texts and
performance. In Karate Kid I, it Karate isnt just about fighting, it is
about a way of life and living. Mr. Miagi has the student go thru
motions. Wax on/off. Where would we find a practice in human life
that would do that
D. Problem of performance and moral failures. If morality is about
how we act and not what we choose, the only way to develop by
performance, but in doing this we need to do this in ways that
protect us from moral failures.

Optional: dealing not so much with a code, but a methodology.

Ren
Yi
Li
Zhr
Zin
October 29, 2010

Ritual Theory and Practice: introduced from the east Asian perspective.
Story that is drawn from east Asian classics. About a hero, king or emperor,
someone regarded as important to know about human life and politics. Shun
is the man, often called great. Often seen as important in ritual and dealing
with moral dilemma.
I. The Great Shun Faces a Moral Dilemma (Shun and the Old Blind
Man) blind man is Shuns fathers. Shun parents were farmers, and his father
and siblings plotted to kill Shun. Shun was the oldest and was in line to
inherit the farm. The barn was set on fire when Shun was on and he escaped
and fled.
A. Marry or not marry (Strategy Choice): if Shun marries when the
time comes to marry, he should do it as ancestral continuity, If he
does marry then he goes against the honor and wishes of the
parents.
o 1. Greek tragedy no way out: this kin do of situation is no
way out. Leads to destruction of the family or in Shuns
death.
o 2. East Asian way out: almost always a way out in the east
Asian tradition. The decision is a way out. Shun decides to
marry and marry secretly. By marrying secretly he continues
the family line thru him and no thru evil younger brother.
Once he has able to succeed in life he can present the
marriage and his parents future grandchildren as gifts.
This is the basic east Asian answer, there is a way out.
o 3. Yao give Shun the Empire: Yao decides Shun is exactly the
kind of human that should succeed him, so his new success is
his imperial rule over the empire.
He gave this farmer this power because he is seen by
Yao as someone who can make critical, correct, tough
decisions.
B. Confucian Ritual: this dilemma about the old man and Shun
leads to ritual. Ritual is by learning by doing.
o 1. Logic moral virtues (values) in terms of institution and selfdesign
teaching logic morals and values in terms of institution
and self-design. Cultivate and make basic moral
decisions thru action. What is the family and how do
you deal with a crisis.
o 2. Model (Map)

show logic and how to use the logic thru a model or

map. In a morning ritual in the sacrifice to ancestors is
the logic of how you face life and do good for your
family line and then go out and do good things for the
world respecting your family.

II. Ritual
A. Comparative Social Science Conceptualization: broken into parts
of collective rule-bound concentrated meaning.
o 1. Collective (Collective action): ritual in the morning is if you
do it with other people. Members of family, nation, public.
Ritual is collective action.
a. Actor (Actors) is Audience: takes place publicly,
somewhere even if family institution. The actors are the
audience. The ppl enacting the ritual are the audience
b. this is important if ritual is going to teach
o 2. Rule-Bound (Formal or Informal) Procedures: not
necessarily rules in a code
because it is collective action it requires procedures.
Ritual cant be done anyway you want. In terms of
collective action there has to be rules. Formal or
informal. They dont have to be highly formalized like
law, but they could be. Just tell us what to do.
o 3. Moment (Time-Beginning) Middle End
takes place in a short period of time. A concentrated
moment in time that has a beginning middle and end.
Ritual is different than everyday life. Something special,
a spc moment. It has to be clear beginning middle end.
o 4. Of CONCENTRATE Meaning
concentrates meaning. Like life and death, future,
ideas, they point to basic issues like morality and how
we should live. What should I or we choose?
B. Three Types: look across cultures and religions and you can see
three types
o 1. Symbolic (Flag Ceremony). There is nothing bad about the
flag ceremony. What it does is give emotional appeal, asks us
to consent, assent to it.
a. ASSENT to emotional appeal: something like the flag
is taken as something bigger like nation-state, America.
We are asked to assent or agree to that emotional
appeal. We are good and linked in history.
o 2. Causal (Cause and Effect): more religious in nature.

a. Balinese water temples (Ritual is necessary for water

regulation)for many centuries, back before 1000AD, Bali
is an island but from 1000AD up it has been civilization
that is deeply influence by Hindu and Buddhist practice.
Certain rituals can turn on things. Water is
important to Bali and farmers have to get
together to agree on water. In Bali it is religious
issue. The water temples are designed to regulate
the flow of water.
o 3. Cognitive (Confucian-Leaving by doing):
Water has sacred power and power must be accessed
before water can be use
Lancing has written on this
Cause and effect is different, ppl believe there is a
change in the world thru this thought and practice
C. Confucian Ritual as Knowledge and learning, learning by doing.
Ritual is illustrative
o 1. Illustrative: What ritual does is illustrate the logic of values
and their design.
o 2. Inspirational (Model, Map): what ppl learn in doing ritual,
the part outside of the concentrated moment to do things the
right way. Like Shun to know how to deal with family crisis.
Illustrate what is really important and inspire like model
or map
o 3. Self-enforcing incentives: meaning we make internal what
we learn by doing performing in ritual and then we can make
decisions in the right moral way. They are then incentives that
get us to act in the correct way.
The dont rely on a code of law. this has a very
sophisticated theory how ppl internalize incentives and
they become self-enforcing.
o 4. Theory and Practice of (Justice): in doing ritual you are
shown what proper shares or justice is about.
a. What is it? Teaches you what is justice
b. Doing it: you then do justice itself
c. Ancestral Sacrifice: preferred term to ancestor
worship. It is more sacrificing to dead ancestors that
are immediate and worth it, understanding what is at
stake, learning thru basic moral virtues and map of how
to treat others. Then you honor the ancestors bc it is a
form of justice to them. You are then doing justice, a
just act.

This helps to understand what justice and proper

shares are about and it is an act of justice itself.
D. Types: focused around the family
o 1. Birth
o 2. Coming of age: yng men and women coming to maturity
o 3. Death
o 4. Ancestral sacrifice
o 5. Inter-family: village ritual, honor the worthy.
o 6. National: ritual that under communist and post communist
govt that tries to provide ritualization for ppl
o 7. The Music Unites the Ritual Divides: meaning normally
any ritual contains tow parts. Any ritual has something that
touches us as human beings. Touching something in us that is
human. Ritual also divides, in a way showing our differences.
Old/young, husband/wife, parents/children. Showing us we
are in specified roles.
a. text, music (invocation and song)
b. words
c. performance (actors)
III. Lasting Legacies Moral and Ritual Theory and Practice
A. Moral
o 1. Institutional Design (Ministries of Culture [virtue] Vietnam)
shows that designing institutions, this tradition has real
effects.
o 2. Political Rhetoric (Rhetoric of moral fragility)
often they talk about morality more than one would
think today. They talk about politics and morality and
how fragile it might be.
o 3. Moral Education
education is still seen as involving a strong moral
component. Strong in Korea, China, Japan. Taught thru
all levels of school
o 4. Moral, Values, Moral Reasoning
at its core, the basic problem for Shun has how he and
his family should act. Not whether he should marry or
not. What should we do? Morality as performance and
practice linked to ritual.
B. Ritual
o 1. Boundary maker (food):
tells us who is us and who are others. Seen in family
and work. There is a whole way of life.

in America we are open who we eat with. In east Asia

eating food is more important. If you're invited to
someone's home to eat, take seriously there is ritual
component marking you as part of grp
o 2. Bonding mechanism
a. Social networks: important in china, Korea, Japan
politics.
o 3. Political Ritualism
a. Olympics
o 4. Core of popular religion (Taoism, Buddhism)
a. Confucian Religious Pluralism

November 1, 2010
Ritual Concluded: the types of characteristically east Asian ritual. They
arent specifically religious in origin or functions. They are taken and used by
Confucians to use a ritual space that teaches like moral edu what it means to
be moral and full human.
A. Types Life Cycle Events: thing that happen to humans whether or
not they believe in religious salvation or afterlife. Because they are focused
on lifecycle events in families, they arent anti-religious but focus on
distinctive necessity for humans.

B.

1. Birth: born into family, becomes basis of ritual moment. Seeing

how focuses on moral issues it surrounds transfer of generations
2. Coming of Age: when men/women are reaching basic adulthood,
there is coming of age ritual. Collective rule bound moment of
concentrated meaning.
3. Marriage (Familial): what is proof of marriage. Historically no
marriage license. Essential definition wasnt about a license.
o Ceremony might have been religious based.
o The basic define of marriage is the family. A whole history of
ritual where a bride marries into the family of a groom. The
family is then recognizing the marriage. The Confucian root is
identifying the marriage core.
4. Death: from Confucian point of view no on eddies alone, but in
presence of others, die in home around family. Death is not just
natural but also it is ritually important to those who live to
understand and see death as living what it means in moral and
personal terms.
5. Inter-Familial: less important but still significant. Thru ritual see
they are taught and see what it means to have this relationship.
o a. friends (honoring the worthy): friends try thru ritual action
to recognize what each has done. Thru ritual bonding, to
make friendship important. Honor friends who are worthy
isnt just polite, but doing ritual in teaching sense.
o b. political: in east Asia Confucian was see political
importance. Bc the ritual itself was important to be useful to
teach others.
o c. New years: time of happiness and celebrations. Ritual
moment inside and outside families. Go to east Asia and
participate its event that combines many holidays in one.
d. Ancestral sacrifice (Not worship): food left out with incents.
ritual cohesion of grp and helps to teach. Remember those
who are important to you, and how they view the world.
Seen backwards to west for looking to the past.
Important in Asia looking to past to remember and
carry on
Lasting legacies
1. Boundary Marker: one thing ritual does is establish boundary.
o a. Family Ritual
2. Bonding mechanism creating networks: in east Asia one way to
create important social network (in market, friends, teachers,
corporations). In east Asia its different. Much more emphasis on
using clear cut rituals. Economic, political , etc beyond the family.

o a. gift exchange: Japan, Korea, china: one way to create a

network, lesser to greater. These gifts are more than tokens
of affection. Way of saying we have important things in
common. Use ritual to create network that can withstand the
test of time.
o b. Sing along (Karaoke): the experience of singing and
sharing food shows ritual to teach and bond social networks.
(Bell)
o c. Social Networks and Economic growth: some ppl argue this
is kind of corrupt. These are ultimately social networks
positive for econ growth. Not tied to formal rules and are
flexible.
3. Political ritualism: flag ceremony in US is political ritual. This is
more symbolic in US. Here political ritualism is used in East Asia to
bond and to teach.
o a. Mao and the Cultural revolution (disprove): he tried to
launch revolution in Chinese culture. Partly he did this thru
Confucian idea of cognitive and teaching. Large crowds go to
see him and carrying his books.
o b. Olympics (china): recently occurred. From outsider it was
huge event showing Chinas econ development and its return
to world power. The Olympics is ritual moment, this isnt china
reasserted itself, it is ritual moment showing who china is.
4. Care of popular religion: still case in east Asia if you are from a
number of religions, the core of the religion is important as
anything else. They learn the religion thru ritualist acts. Not so
much religious tradition for pray or sacred power, but its ritual.
5. The AS IF in ancestral sacrifice and the suspension of religious
difference:
o optional: if you read book of ritual (passages in DeBarry).
There is section talking about ancestral sacrifice and funerals.
We honor sprits of dead as if they are here. Not to honor
them is disrespectful and inhuman.
o Possible for many faiths to take part in same ritual event
without sharing the same religious beliefs or applying beliefs
to ritual. Religious difference is suspended for ritual moment,
the rule bound moment of concentrated meaning.

Proper Order understood as: Methodology and Management Necessary

Framework International Stability
I. Theory of War:
A. Dichotomous Order Anarchy or Hierarchy

o From east Asian point of view, hierarchy is inevitable for

humans, and absence of hierarchy leads to bad
consequences.
o The world is ordered or its not. Doesnt have to be single
state, but there has to be some sort of hierarchy.
B. Anarchy is Generative of War: anarchy is seen as not abolishing
hierarchy, but leading to war. War is seen as bad and anarchy is the
cause.
C. War is generative of animal Chaos: war leads to animal chaos.
War doesnt have ennobling qualities we have seen in ancient
Greeks or Romans.
o Leads to breakdown of human institutions, unnecessary
conflict and waste of resources. Making ppl more like animals
and less like humans. Human nature is tendency. If tendency
is the case, then tendency for human nature to develop, it will
be cut off. Making ppl more like animals and less like humans.
D. Threat to Civilization: because it is leading to chaos then it is a
threat to civilization.
o Not surprising this tradition is that war is bad and threat to
civilization. What Confucius thought he was doing was helping
stop destruction by warfare.
E. Solution of universal rule (one state) is improbable or even
impossible create networks of multi-state cooperation
o Answer to get out of war. No one believed it was possible to
create a single world govt. if this is the case and ppl are
skeptical, if this isnt possible and many centers of power
what do you do?
Create networks of multistate cooperation. Move ppl
from state of anarchy to hierarchy relationship based on
cooperation. Idea is if you cant get true universal rule
then the best is to create networks of multistate
cooperation.
II. War and Justice Just War (Bell): has this been a tradition of
fighting morally just war or something else altogether.
A. No absolute (categorical) just war good against evil (modify
bell). No such thing as pure absolute just war, good against evil.
o In west we think about the good and bad. That is a dichotomy
that established absolute. In east pt of view, there is no just
war.
o From E Asian pt of view, any war is complex involving moral
responsibly and ambiguity. Confucian says as DeBarry points
out.

B. Why? Mutual responsibility: why no absolute war? Thinking of

everything as interdependent. A war from Confucian pt of view can
only happen by failure of both sides, mutual responsibility of the
war. Everyone who fights it is responsible, for the war. They fail in
some way.
o 1. Failures of (everyone is responsible)
a. leadership
b. institutions
c. Moral conduct (corruption)
C. Thus, just wars are wars of balance (more and less right and
wrong sides)
D. Morally justifiable wars
o 1. Defensive wars (Civilization threatened)
o 2. Punishment of Fundamentally Bad Rules
o 3. Civilizing wars (most debated)
E. Preconditions of justifiable wars
o 1. Moral obligation
o 2. Moral cause
o c. Moral rules

November 8, 2010

Complete discussion of intl politics and thinking of proper order at intl

level. Focus on historical issues and think of lasting legacies for E. Asia in
20th and 21st Cen.
I. East Asian Military Tradition 900-1900. In this period we see
distinctive shape to warfare develop, geography, and nature of threat.
Confucian institutions and cultural technique.
A. Magnetic Hegemony as ritual family. From Confucian point o
view, objective was to make proper order stable and permanent as
possible by creating intl order where participants focus on size and
econ power of china would be understood as ritual family.
o 1. International Institutions and shift in the balance of power.
Regard themselves in weak sense bound by intl
institutions that from Confucian point of view based on
trade and politics but with ritual consent.
Make like big as much as possible as great ritually
defined family. Then intl institutions could prevent war.
Korea, Vietnam, Japan bound by trade and econ but
also ritual ties. In 1590s when rising Japan invade
Korea with objective of becoming hegemon in china.
This might lead to overall world war.
If all members in sys would regards ea other as
members of family and balance of power comes
through ritual
If family is most important institution that used as
model outside of the country.
Rising Japan and declining Korea could turn to
china for resolution of their conflicts and prevent
war.
Confucians like institutionalists in this respect.
B. The logic of the military classics
o 1. Sun-Zi (The Art of War) better translated as methodology
and management of war. Used for all purposes, mgmt.,
training and tactics. Simply if we think of logic of military
classics it isnt about how to win war, but how to win a war
linked to something distinct.
o 2. War for the people, no the people for war: there a three
types of war, punishment, defensives, justice. The war is
fought for the ppl. even in Sun-Zi message is clear that who
will be beneficiary of war is ppl. dont fight war to expand
power of rules, state, gvot. Fight for purposes of the benefit
of the ppl.
warning to rulers of when to fight, why not to fight, and
who to fight for, similar to idea of Mencius.

o 3. Overawing (3 to 1 or better odds): if one were to read SunZi from standpoint of how to win a war once fighting, then
there are clear prescriptions.
Guides like moral code similar to. Ways of fighting war
point back to issue of who war fought war and when if
at all.
Overawing enemy to create military force larger than
the other. 3 to 1 odds or better. Sun-Zi says dont fight
war for own power, it is wrong. Fight for ppl not ppl for
your cause. Make sure military is big enough so you can
overawe enemy. This allows enemy to give up. Ideal
outcome for war is minimally bloody.
Make sure military is big enough so you dont have to
fight at all.
o 4. Combined aims: argues if you fight war have wide variety
of weapons. Calvary, lances, battery ram, arrows, etc.
combine arms in military you are more likely to win. Get
military opposing to give up quickly through this combined
arms and large military 3-1.
o 5. Maximization of Asymmetric Advantage. (numbers and
tactics against physical technology). If conditions above are
met then follow this tactic of asymmetric advantage.
Look to see what your side is better at and what is your
advantage and look to their weakness. Rather than fight
strength against strength, but fight your strength
against their weakness.
Any way will have asymmetries, one side is better at
doing one thing at least than others.
Try to develop more # of soldier and superior tactics. If
you cant win fast and fight hard, then create an adv. Try
to develop military with large numbers and strategic
tactics
o 6. The military profession an honorable profession. Military
classics, profession of being officer is honorable. You often
hear about Confucian generals, soldiers. Nothing
incompatible, it is honorable.
The difference is it isnt inferior or low status or bad.
You can be military professional who doesnt want to
fight aggressive. What wars are fought for and how it is
fought.

o 7. Target war prevention not promotion. War should be

prevented not promoted. Too easy to assume fighting war is
more about preventing it through deterrence. War is so
dangerous and destructive of civilization it should be
prevented not promoted.
o 8. The Confucian point-normal purpose of government proper
order not war.
There is Confucian point. Normal purpose of govt is
creation of proper order not fighting war. In Euro for
many centuries, war was purpose of govt as anything
else. Euro werent warlike, they just had more wars and
more high cost destructive war than E. Asia.
Normal and primary is creation of popular order, elite
mgmt., intl network of cooperation.
If you fight for own power, you're likely to loose. War is
for people not ppl for war.
Prevent war, dont promote is most important msg in
the Sun-Zi.
II. Context 900-1900
A. Constraints (Limits) on war. Thinking of origins of war, what
limits war or prevent it? E. Asian case most important constraint
hegemony.
o 1. Hegemony. 900 on, China is hegemonic power. Very fact of
hegemony in E. Asia has constraining effect on war.
War is less likely when there is hegemon trying to
promote peace.
All civilizations like Japan, Korea, Vietnam were smaller
than China and this also limits frequency of war. There
is hegemonic peace, little incentive to fight or where the
hegemon can act and maintain peace.
o 2. Limits frequency and types of warfare.
a. Types. Euro there are types of war on all kinds of
issues. Given limited freq of warfare in east Asia there
are three types of warfare.
i. Frontier (Mongols). Outside tributary system
creating threat.
Mongols take over in China and Moncho in
Ch'ing
These could be destructive and involve
powers of unequal strength and are short.

ii. Inter-tributary. When Japan begins to rise it

attacks Korea. This was destructive and war that
is fought in tributary system to determine who
will control.
Didnt have big impact of war in Europe.
iii. Civil wars (Dynastic transitions). Breakdown of
central govt, Ming dynasty breakdown and
replaced by Ch'ing. Short and infrequent and lead
to new system.
B. Technology. Issue that gets to big issue with political econ and
development.
o 1. Innovation. Often said little invention and adaption in
military in E. Asia.
First example of handgun comes from china in 8000900s. Gun powder was invented, but why didnt they
develop kinds we see in Europe in 1700s. No increasing
sophisticated cannon.
Fact E. Asia did develop gun powder weapons undercuts
idea they cant innovate,
o 2. Adaptation: under cut by simple fact that as began to
experience more Euro military tech they adapted quickly.
Before impact of Euro, they innovated and adapted to own
rational purpose.
o 3. Gun powder Weapons. Civil war used to fight cities, or on
sea to fight navy battles. No way to have developed Euro
style tech until well into 20th cen.
o 4. Geography
a. Europe has flat plains. If you are developing more
gun powder based rifles, muskets, cannons, you need
geography. Flat plains have army with cannon that can
fight ea other.
b. East Asia has mountains and rivers. Doesnt occur in
E. Asia. Doesnt have flat plains to fight. Most of east
Asia, china Korea, Japan there are hills, mtns, rivers.
Innovation in military weapons and adaptation is no
way static.
C. The threat from the north and the mounted archer. Mongols,
based on mounted archers. With tremendous striking power can
fight 10-15 arrows per minute on galloping horse.
o 1. Cavalry, imperial china developed cavalry. Horses needed
and need lots of food. Geography was difficult to develop all
horses for this kind of war.

o Imperial china was dependent on horses for the people it

might have to fight. Stand point of whole world order, the
biggest threat was the power of the mounted archers and
how to compete when it is difficult and costly to raise.
D. Change Japan 1863-1937. Real unraveling of tributary system
comes from Japan. Industrialization and centralization of Jap
powers changes. New state that can fight war in new way.
III. Lasting legacies 2000s. current population of China is 1B, 400M.
eventually Chinese power is going to exert thru east Asia. There is potential
hegemonic power in E. Asia and it is China. Unless China collapses to many
states, then China will be hegemon.
A. Hegemony. New emerging world order where china is hegemon.
B. War fighting doctrine.
C. Cultural Centrality (All East Asia). E. Asia develops and becomes
powerful econ and poli, there is a sense the world has many great
civilizations. But central part is east Asia. New self confidence with
central role in the world.
D. Soft power legacy of magnetic hegemony
o Soft power, they build cooperative networks partly economics
and partly moral. Not trying to take over world or east Asia,
there is tendency to view intl poli thru prism of creating
institutions promote cooperative independence.

November 15, 2010

Today continue to sketch the core of moral mkt section of the course.
Conclude the old yet relevant debate of Liquor Yeast. Then ask questions
whether the Confucian debate has a workable economy. Bears on crucial
issues of economy. Conclude on Wednesday.
I. The Liquor Yeast Debate Concluded (1737). The debate occurred in
Ch'ing dynasty in the highest level of imperial court. Focuses on issue of
liquor yeast debate, dealing with complex social econ problem. Did old govt
like china have the tools to understand and control. Thus debate focused on
real problem. As econ grows, more income, more spending on goods
services, people produced and drank more liquor. What is the result and
implications of food supply. They are transforming grain to liquor and arent
saving for food supply. This was large scale issue. Two policy grps that argue
for the response.
A. Prohibitionists: argue that given the severity of the problem and
impact on food supply was to prohibit liquor production for several
years.
o 1. Moral Exhortation: exhorting common ppl to understand
moral implications of what they are doing.
Ppl could be reached by stressing saving and frugal
ideas like saving grain instead of making liquor.
o 2. Command and Co-Participation: imperial court should issue
prohibition for fixed years like 2-4 and back up with penalties.
If central govt could co-participate with local elites they
could control the problem.
B. Regulations: argument that moral exhortation is important. Not
free mkt economy, central govt should state this is moral issue and
we should appeal to common ppl sense of thrift and saving. Even
with co-participation the prohibition will be impossible. Therefore
there are regulation problems. There will be a black mkt and ppl will
do it all the more. Positive attraction of regulation will outweigh the
command.
o 1. Moral Exhortations
o 2. Taxation (Given Enforced)
should be taxed at higher levels to a point where the
yeast will be more valuable to food then liquor.
C. Agrarian Theory of Value: both sides, regulators and
prohibitionists, agreed on. Both believed the most important source
of material value was agriculture.
o 1. Most Important Source of Material Value-Agricultural
farmers are more pure, and see agriculture morally
more important. This may seem strange to us.

o 2. Natural Values: believe some material values are natural

food and families
bc some have preference for something doesnt mean it
should be more support from govt. they arent anticommercial. From stand point some values are natural
and therefore some are illusory.
o 3. Illusory Values (Wasting Time): if some see these better
than other than they can be wasting time. Argue things like
excessive drinking, gambling, chess playing, are seen as a
waste of time. This differentiates the whole tradition of
political econ
Drinking, Gambling
D. Focus of Debate Incentives: like behavior of farmers to use
grain for food or liquor.
o 1. Qualified Legitimacy of Profit and Property
what are property and profit if not incentives. They
have positive effect on ppl econ behavior. Confucian
regulators agree, property and profit are legitimate.
o 2. Positive and Negative Incentives: humans are more
motivated by positive incentives like increasing prices than
negative like shame from command. Prohibition based on
command and co-participation could therefore work.
a. Prices, prohibitions
o 3. Perverse Incentives: two sides disagree on previse
incentives. In a twisted way it does opposite It doesnt make
you better off. It doesnt have the better effect and makes it
worse off instead. Can govt keep unemployment low and
inflation low.
1. Disposable Income Trap: for prohibitionists, the
villain was disposable income trap. They argued that ppl
got more disposable income they spend. The more they
spend the worse off they become. It gets you to
overspend. As disposable income increases you fall into
that trap.
Govt has to act and since farmers and ppl had
illusion they had more to spend they spent too
much and not save.
2. Regulatory Failure: regulators say some kinds of
regulation are perverse. The positive incentive of profit
will outweigh the command. This will have the opposite
effect and prices increase of liquor and ppl will do it all
the more.

II. Components of Political Economy Theory? Were there the

components of a political economy that we could identify, that arent
inhibiting or blking a political economy.
A. Concept Signifying Distinct Area of Theory and Practice:
addresses fundamental issue. Did Confucian ideals have sense of
economics and understand a basic value of human life.
o 1. There was a concept of Jing-Shi(Saving the World)
in 1737 when high officials debated the liquor yeast
problem, they drew upon literature. They understood
Jing-Shi as saving the world. They meant there was an
area of human behavior we call political economy where
you can save a lot of ppl, save the world.
B. Price Formation and Scarcity: increase in prices reflect
underlying effect of scarcity.
C. Money Values (Function of Govt Policy): did they think that $$$
had a natural value, like gravity. They believe the value of $$ is
function of govt policy. Value of copper coins or silver comes down
to policy.
D. Social Opportunity Costs (Savings and Investment vs.
Consumption)
o Idea that there are opportunity costs for individuals. If you
buy one car you cant buy a house, or you can buy a house
but not two. People making lots of decisions will choose things
that have investment to self.
o Invest more in liquor and not for the food supply. They
understood that saving and investment isnt compatible with
consumption.
E. Institutional Efficiency Markets, Prices
o They understood markets could be efficient and the effect of
prices. Prices not only reflect scarcity but effect. Monopoly
and competitions.
F. Incentives (Importance)
G. Agrarian Theory of Value: what made different, not premodern,
the agrarian theory of value. Agriculture is more important that
value of commerce. Given choice, they believe agriculture is most
important to economy.
On all the last except G you can recognize political economy as seen
today. They understood more or less the effect of political economy.
III. Policy Outcome
A.
If we translate Jing-Shi as saving the world it is more complex.

Regulators were they type that worked.

November 17, 2010

November 22, 2010
Can the E. Asian tradition be seen as a concept of modernity?
I. Making Markets Moral Problem of Moral Markets Confucian
Solution. From E. Asian point of view, the problem with markets is making
mkts moral. Question is what is the Confucian solution to this question. In
general the solution is what we can call structural mgmt..
A. Structural Management (Political Economy). Always aw
relationship between gvot and econ as a specific area of human
behavior. Always a tradition seen as possible for govt to do
something to make moral and efficient.
o 1. Strategic Investment: use resources to make investment
like hydraulic structure to make production more effective.
Govt can do things to help econ to grow and to make more
moral to make it more stable.
Central govt can act strategically to invest in econ to
help grow and reduce threat
o 2. Embedding Law and Regulations in Moral Principles
(Values)
here there is strong sense that econ regulation isnt
about mkt only but also framework. Generally think
about what was said, there is understanding if mkts to
be moral you must embed law and regulation. This is
seen as moral principle in western term.
o 3. Appeal to Popular Values:
in making mkts moral, govt can appeal to moral values
of ppl, and if dont correctly in transparent way one can
expect positive behavior.
o 4. Mobilization of Service:
recall that the civilization was highly service oriented.
Presupposes a svc elite like old scholar gentry or
currently the political parties. Provide charity for poor
and make mkt relationships more moral.
B. Logical Preconditions: what does a society have to look like in
order to have probity of success. Several preconditions:
o 1. Causal Efficacy (Power) of Moral Values:

moral mkts approach wont work if ordinary ppl dont

see this as moral problem. Actually have real efficacy or
power to bring about change.
If this moral mkts approach is to have any success it
must have power.
o 2. Moral Consensus
what are the concrete moral values that ppl will follow.
An appeal moral values works with some but not all.
o 3. Service Ethic
recall that in Confucian tradition govt was dont by svc
elites, and once it began to collapse the result was
disastrous.
Moral obligation
o 4. Popular Self-Regulation
Confucian tradition has great deal of faith to regulate
selves to do what is right and proper. The ability to
regulate themselves, do things without formal law
telling them to do it.
Unless there is a great deal of popular regulation, one
could argue this moral mkt idea would have little
success. Liquor/Yeast debate is a good example of this
view. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a tradition
denying, but supporting the mkts.
II. Lasting Legacies
A. Moral Markets
o 1. Regulatory PRAGMATISM: best capture of long term
significance of the moral mkts. There isnt a real commitment
in ideological views. Being practical, the idea that govt should
do what seems to work in the economy.
Communism and Capitalism: Since end of WWII, we
can see both communism and capitalism in China. Not
in something that is morally good, but pragmatic
responses to make ppls lives. Better.
Capitalism is seen as practical, to structure an economy
to make people flourish and establish a more moral
order.
o 2. Ethic of Savings and Investment (Savings Rates)
ppl put strong value on saving and investment,
materially. Willingness of ppl to save a lot to invest in
future.

Bell points this out. The impact of Japanese saving too

much and spending too little. This was cause for 90s
mkts fall in Asia.
o 3. Moral Markets (Inequality)
if inequality is seen on increase it can be a real political
problem.
o 4. Necessary Framework of Material and Moral Security
role of govt is seen as creation of framework. To extent
this framework remains deeply embedded, you can
expect it to affect politics well into the 20th Cent
B. Law and Justice: Law worked in 2 stages. Local mediation and
arbitration, and if that didnt work, then it would go up to the
central govt.
o 1. Preference for Informal Medication and Arbitration.
(go betweens, brokers)
o 2. Minimization of Formal Litigation
Litigation Rates: there is real evidence to try and
minimize litigation rates. Rather than going to court
there is a lot more litigation rates.
o 3. Ritualization and Moralization of Law
Public Trials, Showing: still shows up in areas of public
trials. Formal law is still seen as ritual mov
Shaming in public after
o 4. Contractual Trust Contracts as Long-Term Social
Relationships. Tendency to seek economic contracts as
fundamental ling term relationships. Build long term ties with
them. Long term contractual relationship.
a. Preference for family firms
b. Corporate Families: corporation like Toyota is seen as
a corporate family. Lifetime employment after WWII, if
you worked for a corporation you would have a job
whether or not the economy was good or bad.
c. Networks: in Rep. Korea, the real business of
business is done of social networks.
III. Modernity East-Asia
A. Desirable (Modernity) for: necessary for economic growth.
Create the conditions=:
o 1. economic growth
o 2. Political-stability
B. Achievement Ethic (Values): work harder, save and investments.
o 1. Effort Reward and Predictive Behavior
C. Acceptance of Market Logic

o Idea that scarcity has to be governed in the end

D. Civic Society (Extra Governmental Institutions)
o 1. Power Constraint
o 2. Facilities Productive cooperation
E. Secular Ethic of Social Solidarity
o Hold around secular things, not sacred and not religious. We
recognize a common history, culture, and lang in US. The is a
cooperation and solidarity for us.
F. Legal Autonomy: president cant interrupt and intrude in the
legality of courts.
o 1. Legal Claims
a. predictable
b enforceable
G. Individualism
o Innovation and Interdependence)
H. Mencius
o Armor makers, arrow-makers, physician, coffin maker
Confucian and Commerce.

December 3, 2010
I. Taoism-Tao-Te (DE) Way and Power: Not what the Dao is but a
different way. Tao-Te means Power and the Way. What this focuses on
historically is going to be different. This is how humans are interdependent
with the whole. The challenge is how to access the power in everyday life. It
is like a religion because of ultimate salvation, but also a way of how
humans fit into the whole of the Tao.
A. Contrast with Confucianism
o 1. Point of Consensus Ontological Interdependence
unlike the Confucian what is interesting and important
is how we are interdependent with the cosmos and
nature as a whole.
o 2. Decisive Contrast Focus: what the Taoist and Confucians
have focused on
a. Confucianism Parts to Whole
(Families States Proper Order)
if you think back to DeBarry readings, even
ancient Confucian thinkers are activists are
brought to a condition of proper order. Like think
about society and politics in PoliSci. We think
about individual voters and then the bigger
picture of institutions and their impact on others.

b. Confucianism Political
c. Taoism Whole (Tao) To Parts: It is a focus on the
whole Tao affect the parts, especially humans and what
can humans do to improve the whole.
How the whole Tao affect humans.
d. Taoism Accessing Cosmic (Tao) Power:
Taoism is like accessing something, accessing
cosmic or Tao Power.
e. The Limits of Language:
From Taoist perspective language is important. It
is a track, from Taoist point of view it shows us a
part. We are limited by language and we must
move beyond it, because it deeply affects us. The
natural world is always acting on us in invisible
ways so we must get past things like language to
access that power.
B. Taoism Targets: similar and distinct from Buddhist and
Confucian
o 1. Cosmic Self-Cultivation:
Cultivating self that makes you more interdependent so
you can become more accessed to the power and shape
it to your own ends. More about self cultivation from
politics but for salvation
o 2. Wisdom (Insight Into Cosmic Process):
fundamental kind of wisdom that shows you how nature
responds and how you are affected by seasons and
planets.
o 3. Health and Happiness (Longevity or Even Immortality)
part of accessing the power should be supreme. To
simply make body and heart and mind healthier. This
appears in ancient Taoist texts, there is happiness for
humans if they access and act with.
Fung-Shui, certain drugs and herbs to extend life. It
may be possible and for some it has been possible, but
to become the Tao in some fundamental way to go
beyond the limitations of your own physical body.
o 4. Spiritual Power (Everyday Life)
If Tao is understood and acted upon in everyday life,
then you go do things ordinary people cant do by
bending the Chi. Walk in room and no be noticed, have
power to break things, etc.
C. Taoism
o 1. Philosophy of Natural Process

process is important. Process is static, it is always

changing and dynamic. At the most sophisticated it is a
philosophy of natural process.
o 2. Methodology of Spiritual Self Cultivation
it is methodology that tries to ask you to access the
Tao.
o 3. Popular Religion
in china and other areas there are people who live the
Tao. They dont focus on god but more like technology
that focuses on spiritual life to get over illness, live a
long time, etc.
D. Taoism is not
o 1. Anarchism: a belief that humans can live without hierarchy.
It is in fact elitists and therefore very hierarchical.
o 2. Egalitarian (Hierarchy of Spirituality Skilled): people who
are more less skilled that have powers that are fundamental.
o 3. Relativism (Logic of the Tao is Absolute): may surprise you
if you read DeBarry. Taoism says human points of view are
partial. They are just parts, not the whole. The logic of the
Tao is absolute.
People have partial perspectives tied to language, if we
can get past them we can see the power and have the
possibility to access it.
o 4. Politics-Either Not political or close to proper order: Taoism
historically has not said anything about politics. It is not
political or close to proper order. Dont think of it about LazzeFaire
E. Lasting Legacies: process
o 1. Philosophy of Nature
o 2. Conceptions of Cosmic Power (Chi, Yang-Yin, Feng-Shui)
ideas and conceptions like the Chi is a Taoist idea as
much as it is another. In popular notions in how tin
interact
o 3. Popular Religion: way of living and techniques
o 4. Impact on science and technology (Joseph Need Ham)
II. Asian Values Debate 1990s-2000s: This is a debate that goes before
90s but focuses primarily thru 1990-2000
A. Communism: this isnt part of this course but there are 2 points
o Those people who considered communism had some reason
for doing so. They saw communism as a way to rebuild proper
order. It was adopted because it fits within the Confucian
tradition.

o Is E. Asian communism a tradition or break. Communism

takes over a large part of the Confucian tradition .
B. Democracy (Decision-Ruled)
o It is a rule by which societies decide who is to govern and
what policies we have. How would a Confucian approach
democracy. There is a chapter in Bell.
C. Critique of democracy from asain values point of view
o 1. Perspective (Leadership): in any modern state there has to
be a leadership of central government to make decision for
the whole society. Criticism of democracy is it makes in
impossible because of interest grps all wanting what they
want.
Its not humans are stupid but they are not rational and
they will want polices from just one perspective and
therefore the policies are not made for the whole
society.
Lee family in Singapore has spoken out against
democracy since 1950s.
o 2. Preparation: even if demo is good and we have it, they
have to gain experience and knowledge. Know how to vote for
interest and account for the whole. Just to move to this
perspective will bring chaos.
o 3. Costs: why would ordinary people want to pay all cost
necessary. To assume people will be interested in national
politics will not be high.
o 4. Corruption: democracy leads to corruption. It costs money
to get elected, interests grps. Etc.
o 5. Mutual Obligation: what does democracy do to civilization.
Mutual obligation, does democracy divide citizens into their
own grps?
o 6. China 1976-2000 Absolute Poverty 400 Million < 20 Million
Chinese leadership says from 1976-2000 the absolute
level of poverty has declined from 400M to under 20M.
Leadership in China is proud of this.
D. Defense of Democracy: Daniel Bell book
o 1. Humans are Ren: Humanness, people are capable in taking
acct others interests. They have capacity to make decisions of
others even if poorly educated and poor.
o 2. Rationality: people are rational
o 3. Co-Participation: best government is one that is one of coparticipation from local people and central government.
Democracy is a form of this.

o 4. Remonstrance Obligation for Criticize Power: democracy

is a way to criticize power. If any powerful leader do
something stupid then it is not just right but an obligation to
citizen them.
o 5. Self-Cultivation: By participating in election, interested
grps, political parties. Point is even with tradition of east
Asian values, there are way of criticizing and defending
democracy.

Magagna Office hours next week:

Monday
10-11 and 1-2
Wed.
Unknown Jury Duty