The Han Synthesis

In Our Time: Philosophy

BBC

History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 October 2004

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Han Synthesis philosophies of China. In The Analects the Chinese sage Confucius says of statecraft: "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn to it".Confucianism had been all but outlawed under the Chin Emperor, but in 206 BC the Han dynasty came to power and held sway for over 400 years. They brought Confucian thought to the heart of government, his favourite books became set texts for the world's first civil service exam and in a grand intellectual project 'The Great Tao' was combined with 'The Five Phases' and with the Yin and the Yang.Who were the Han? How did they bring these strands of thought together into the great founding moment of Chinese culture? And what drove them to their extraordinary intellectual task?With Christopher Cullen, Director of the Needham Research Institute; Carol Michaelson, Assistant Keeper of Chinese Art in the Department of Asia at the British Museum; Roel Sterckx, Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Cambridge.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks for downloading the In Our Time podcast. For more details about In Our Time and for our terms of use, please go to BBC.co.uk.
0:10.0	I hope you enjoy the program.
0:11.0	Hello, in the Anelects, the Chinese sage Confucius says of Statecraft, he who exercises
0:18.1	government by means of his virtue may be compared to the North Polar Star which keeps its place and all the stars turn to it.
0:26.0	Saying such as this made a reputation which has endured for 2,500 years.
0:31.0	Confusionism had been all but outlawed under the Chin Emperor, but in 2006 BC the
0:36.4	Han Dynasty came to power and held sway for over 400 years. They brought confusion thought
0:42.0	to the heart of government. His favourite books became
0:44.4	set-text for the world's first civil service exam. And in a grand electoral project, the
0:49.7	great Dow was combined with the five phases and with the Yin and a Yang.
0:54.3	Who were the Han?
0:55.4	How did they bring these strands of thought together into the great founding moment of
0:58.9	Chinese culture and what drove them to their extraordinary intellectual task.
1:03.2	With me to discuss what sinologists call the hand synthesis
1:06.8	is Christopher Cullen, director of the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge.
1:10.8	Carol Michelson, assistant keeper of Chinese art in the Department of Asia at the
1:14.4	British Museum, and Rul Stearks lecturer in Chinese studies at the University of Cambridge.
1:19.2	Christopher Colin, the Han Dynasty succeeded the Chin, which was the first unified dynasty of China and gave China its name.
1:27.0	What did the Chin industry achieve?
1:29.0	First of all, what did the Chin industry achieve?
1:31.0	What the Chin dynasty achieved was to put a definitive end
1:35.1	to the chaos of the warring states period in which China
	...

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