Asian Ethical Traditions Group 5

ASIAN
ETHICAL
TRADITIONS
ARANDIA, ARIANNE
MARASIGAN, NESSA MAE
NASH, MARVIN
RAMOS, ALLIAH NICOLE
INTRODUCTION
Focused mainly on WESTERN THINKERS
Follows the debate of WESTERN HUMANITY –
grounds and norms of ethical self-realization
In most ethics courses, there is a heavy emphasis on
the traditions of the WEST.
GREAT CIVILIZATION OF THE EAST(INDIA
AND CHINA)- another tradition of thinking about
the good
Many people in the Philippines are deeply influenced
by or have great commonalities in their way of ethical
way of thinking with these traditions.
MANUEL B. DY
• IDENTIFIES FIVE (5) COMMON
THEMES which can be drawn from the
great Asian spiritual and intellectual
traditions.
1. RELIGIOUS THOUGHT IS
INTERTWINED WITH
PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL
THINKING
2. LOVE AND COMPASSION BINDS
INTELLECTUAL TRADITIONS
3. CONNECTEDNESS OF PERSONAL
CULTIVTION AND SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
4. ENLIGHTENMENT
5. GREAT TEACHINGS OFFER PATHS OF
“ HARMONY WITH ONESELF, WITH
OTHERS, WITH NATURE, WITH A
TRANSCEDENT”
THE VEDAS AND
UPANISHADS
VEDAS- some of the oldest philosophical writings in the world.
 Series of hymns to the most ancient Gods- are poetic
articulation of the structure and meaning of the universe.
 There is a family of gods for whom the hymns are composed.
 Direct revelations that speak of the most sacred knowledge about
the world, its creation and the principles of reality.
 RITA IS THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE OF ALL THINGS-
most basic insight of these writings.
 RITA- right order of the universe.
 VEDAS- handbook of prescribed rituals
 The focus is on external rituals to realize
fortune-rethinking of the revelations of the
VEDAS collected in the UPANISHADS.
THE VEDAS AND
UPANISHADS
Upanishads writers seek to understand the fullness of
human becoming
Samsara or reincarnation is the idea of being born
repeatedly in different forms of life
Karma wherein the actions of persons have just
consequences
The duty that one has based on one’s station or station
in life, Darma
To achieve Moksha, one must come to the insight that
all things are one in the Brahman
THE VEDAS AND
UPANISHADS
All things that exist are from the Brahman, and
ultimately all things return to the Brahman
Moksha or the state of enlightenment that liberates
persons from the cycle of birth and rebirth to a state of
stillness and a rootedness in the eternal
“All is Brahman” “Brahman is Atman” “Atman is
Brahman”
Atman is the self that underlies all being. It is the
eternal self which is all our selves
A good human life is one of purification
BUDDHISM
Born from the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha
Buddha sought the meaning of existence when he
realized that human life is suffering
Chatvari-arya-satyani - the four truths
Suffering or Dukkha is the first truth wherein the cycle
of death, life, and rebirth, there is constant suffering
Karma, the second truth which is the cause of
suffering
The third truth is that there is an end to
suffering
BUDDHISM
Nirvana is the dissolution of suffering which is the
fruit of the surrender of the ego
The fourth truth – how human being ought to live a
life free from suffering by following the Eightfold Path
or Astangika-marga
Buddhism provides a way to understand what a good
human being ought to do to come to the fullness of
human life
The Eightfold Path provides guideposts to acting in
this world
CHINESE
PHILOSOPHY
AND CONFUCIAN
ETHICS
CONFUCIANISM
DAOIST LEGALIST
`
CONFUACIANISM
- System of thought attributed to the teacher
“KONGQUI”- “CONFUCIUS” (Western)
`
 Born in 551 B.C (Northeastern China in

the state of Lu)
 aspiring civil servant
 lived his life as a teacher of
governance, ethics and ritual
 able to gather a followers around him
`
“Possibility of building harmonious

ordered society”
Inspiration: (ancient sage rulers)
(King Wen and King Wu and Duke
of Zhou)
 sage rulers
King Wen and
King Wu and
Duke of Zhou)
Internalize as
these virtuous
people –state
would be
ordered (reflects
the order of
Heaven)
“the way to bear the
order of heaven in
one’s conduct”
Moral virtue, wisdom
and intellects
KING WEN –father of
KING WU AND DUKE
OF ZHOU
-during Zhou Dynasty
Analects
 main source of Confucian teaching
 Series of conversations, anecdotes,
and responses of teacher to his
students’ queries (not arranged in
order)
CONFUCIAN: I want to be a person who
has a virtue of ren, to be a person who
has internalized the way of Heaven
HEAVEN
 Source of order and balance, the way
of life and nature, the way of justice
and proper relationships
 Order the must govern one’s way of
being for people to find peace
CONFUCIAN: I AM A PERSON OF
“REN”
 Knows how to act properly (with propriety in all
situations—due
 Being human
 Relationships between persons
R E N
Ren- “human being”
erh- “two”(virtue
governing interpersonal
relationship)
• benevolence, kindness, human-
heartedness, humanity
• “REN IS TO LOVE HUMAN BEINGS
(Confucius)– Analects, 12:22
CONFUCIAN:I WILL LIVE ACCORDING TO
HEAVEN AND MY WAY TO MASTER IT, IS
THROUGH FOLLOWING LI/ RITUALS
 Ancient ways are sacred
 Focus on traditional way
“filial piety- a respect for and
dedication to the performance of
traditional ritual forms of conduct and
ability t judge what us right thing to do
in the given situation”
(codified in rituals and custom)
CONFUCIUS: The person aspiring to
nobility must master and follow the
codes of conduct, because as they
are mastered one’s nature
becomes one with the Dao
LI (CUSTOM AND RITUALS)
 Actions down from ancestors
 Embodiment of the “Dao”
 Preservation of good conduct
 Reflected the wisdom of the noble rulers (in
certain instances)
CONFUCIAN: I AIM AT
REALIZING THE RITUALS WITH
HARMONIOUS EASE
“A T T U N E M E N T”
- one’s self if open to and
responsive to the ways of
Heaven
CONFUCIUS: At age fifteen I set
my heart upon learning; at thirty
I took stand; at forty I became
free of doubts; at fifty I
understood the Heavenly
Mandate; at sixty my ear was
attuned and at seventy I could
follow my heart’s desire without
overstepping the bound of
propriety
- Emphasizing “Li”
“At age fifteen I set my
heart upon learning”
 Seeking harmonious realizations of
Li
 Quest of truth- deepening
knowledge; practice
 STATE- good education
 heart
 Virtues
- Ancient rituals and customs-
attunement of Dao
“at thirty I took stand;
-One becomes attuned to the
ways revealed by heaven to
virtuous men
 It becomes your stand
 STATE- Moral leadership
Social order is founded
Rulers and people lived
according to “DAO”
“at forty I became free of
doubts; at fifty I understood
the Heavenly Mandate;
 One becomes attuned to the
workings of Dao- one no
longer thinks about it or
make effort at living the Dao
 Becomes intimate
knowledge
“at sixty my ear was attuned and
at seventy I could follow my
heart’s desire without
overstepping the bound of
propriety”
- a perfect attunement (very
heart, his will become one with
HEAVEN)
- His heart will never desire to act
in a ways that oversteps Heaven
CONFUCIANIS
DAOISM M
natural order; State order; family;
mystical philosophy rulers
Wu Wei- act
Li- customs and
without effort/ acts
rituals
perfectly with its
flow
HUMAN BEING TO REACH HUMAN FULLNESS

BY LIVIN IN ATTUNEMENT WITH THE DAO
`
ATTAINING FULLNESS
ACCORDING TO
CONFUACIANISM
HEART AND WILL BECOMES ONE
WITH HEAVEN/DAO
UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING WITH LI-
CUSTOMS AND RITUALS
AIMING TO BE A PERSON WHO HAS A VIRTUE
OF REN
CONCLUSION

Ethos of great Asian Traditions

Living a good life

Transcendent and eternal over rules and norms

Less of autonomous, rational legislator of one’s law

Process of coming to attunement

Articulating humans’ connectedness and oneness
to the deepest order of reality

Meditative; reflections to one self
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!
GOD BLESS!

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ASIAN

 Born in 551 B.C (Northeastern China in

“Possibility of building harmonious

HUMAN BEING TO REACH HUMAN FULLNESS

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