Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) WANG YOUPU'S ...
Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) WANG YOUPU'S ...
Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) WANG YOUPU'S ...
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<strong>Primary</strong> <strong>Source</strong> <strong>Document</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Questions</strong> (<strong>DBQs</strong>) onW A N G Y O U P U ' S S A C R E D E D I C T L E C T U R E :" E X H O R T A T I O N S O N C E R E M O N Y A N D D E F E R E N C E "Menofthepresentdaycanʹtperceivetheirownfaultsatall.Thereforetheyperpetuallyquarrel,notrealizingthatstrifeistheroadtothedestructionoftheirfamiliesandtheirpersonalruin.Inevery affair, great or small, retreat a step and you will certainly gain the advantage. Forexample,supposeamancursesme,andIletpassacoupleofphrases.Ifheisagoodmanhewillnaturallyfeelsorry.Ifheisabadman,onseeingthathiscurseshavenoeffect,hewillgiveup.Wouldnʹtthispreventalotoftrouble?Doyouthinkthatbyhiscursingmehewillrisetogreaterglory,orthatIbybearing<strong>with</strong>himwillfallintodisgrace?IfIdefertohiminthisway,peoplewilljustpraisehowgoodIamandwillallwanttojoinme,perhapsconfidingtomethesecretsoftheirheartsorentrustingtometheirmoney.Ifheissooverbearing,peoplewillallhate and avoid him. If he runs into trouble, who will pay attention to him? Havenʹt I thengainedtheadvantage?…Ifyouareabletogetalong<strong>with</strong>others,thosewhoarerudewillimitateyouandlearntogetalong.Ifyouareabletomanagebusinessfairly,thosewhoaredishonestwilllearntobefairbyfollowing you. When one person takes the lead, all the rest will follow. When one familyfollows,thenthewholevillagewilldothesame.Fromneartofar,everywherepeoplewillbegood.Atfirstitwilltakeeffort,butconstantpracticewillmakeiteasy.Menwillbecomehonestand popular customs pure and considerate. Only this would constitute full adoption of themeaningofEmperorShizongʹsrepeatedinstructionstoyou.<strong>Questions</strong>:1. What type of behavior is the speaker promoting in this lecture?2. Does the speaker believe it is easy for people to learn to be civil to oneanother?3. What assumption does he make about human nature in the examples hegives? Do you agree or disagree <strong>with</strong> these assumptions?4. After the People’s Republic of China was formed by the Communist Party in1949, public assemblies at the local level were frequent. When you studythis period, compare and contrast these sessions <strong>with</strong> the one here. Is thecontext the same? The purpose?Longe r Se le ctionFrom Chinese Civilization: A <strong>Source</strong>book, edited by Patricia Buckley Ebrey, 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 298-299.© 1993 The Free Press. Reproduced <strong>with</strong> the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.WangYoupuʹsSacredEdictLecture:ʺExhortationsonCeremonyandDeferenceʺ HisMajestyʹsmeaningisasfollows:Asia for E duca tors l Columbia University l http ://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 2 of 7