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Module 5 Great People and Great Inventions of Ancient China Philosophers of Ancient China Ancient China was a place where states were often at war with each other. But it was also a time when there were many great philosophers. Confucius (551 BC-479 BC) is the philosopher whose influence has been the greatest. He stressed the importance of kindness, duty and order in society. Chinese society was influenced by these ideas for more than 2,000 years.. Mencius was a thinker whose teachings were very similar to those of Confucius. Mencius was born in 372 BC. His father died when he was young, and he was brought up by his mother. He became a student of Confucius’s ideas, and was then given an important position in the government of a state. However, when he saw that the ruler was not following his advice, he resigned. For many years he traveled from state to state, teaching the principles of Confucius. He then became an adviser to another ruler. He spent his last years preparing a book of his teachings called The Book of Mencius. Mencius believed that the reason why man is different from animals is that man is good. He taught that if the government was kind, then people would be good. He believed that people were more important than rulers, and hated the state when it treated people badly. Mozi was another teacher who was very influential. Born in 476 BC, he came from a family which was very poor. He became famous for his unusual clothes and behavior. Mozi founded the philosophy called Mohism. In some ways, his beliefs were similar to those of Confucius. For example, he considered that government was most important. As a result, he spent many years trying to find a state where people would follow his teachings. Mozi believed that all men were equal. His idea of love was different from the Confucian idea of kindness. Mozi taught that we should love all human beings and look after those who are weaker than ourselves. He hated the idea of war. Mozi died in 390 BC. CULTURAL CORNER The Industrial Revolution In Europe, in the second half of the eighteenth century, there was an important change in society. This change was called the “Industrial Revolution”. Until then Europe had been a farming society. With the Industrial Revolution, factories appeared and mass production became possible for the first time. The factories were built in towns and as a result, the population of towns and cities greatly increased. These changes became possible because of inventions such as the steam engine. This was invented in 1769 by James Watt and was the main energy source during the Industrial Revolution. At first the steam engine was used in mines, but it was soon used in factories and on the railways. During the Industrial Revolution, factory owners became more powerful than land owners. Thousands of people left the countryside to work in the city. Often, factory workers lived in poor and crowded conditions. From 1830 to the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution spread through Europe and the US and then to other countries such as Japan. Module 5 中国古代的哲学家 孔子：古代中国各诸侯国之间经常发生战争，但那也是一个产生了许多哲学家的时期。孔子（公元前551—公元前479)是影响最大的哲学家。他强调了仁爱、责任和社会秩序的重要性。中国社会受这些思想的影响达2，000多年。 孟子：孟子是一位思想家，他的理论和孔子的理论很相似。孟子生于公元前372年。父亲在他年幼时去世，母亲把他抚养成人。他学习了孔子的学说，后来在一个诸侯国的政府内居要职。但是，当他看到统治者不釆纳他的意见时，就辞去了官职。许多年来，他周游列国，传授孔子的思想，后来成为另一位统治者的谋士。他晚年写了一本介绍他思想的书，名为《孟子》。孟子认为，人之所以不同于动物，是因为人性本善。他告诫人们，假若政府仁慈，人民就会有善行。他认为人民比政府更重要，憎恨对人民残暴的政权。 墨子：墨子是又一位极具影响力的先哲。他生于公元前476年，出身贫寒。他因不修边幅、行为怪异而闻名。墨子创立了墨家学说。他的学说在某些方面和孔子学说很相似。例如：他认为政府很重要。因此，他花了许多年的时间，寻找一个人们愿意遵从他思想的国家。墨子认为，人生来平等。他的仁爱思想与孔子不同。墨子告诫人们要博爱，要帮助弱者。他憎恨战争。墨子死于公元前390年。 |
