35: Han dynasty, (206 BCE-220 CE)

• The Context for the Han ascendancy
• A brief Political Overview
• Specifics of the Former Han

36: Confucianism on the rise

• The rise of the imperial bureaucracy
• Tung Chung-shu (179->104 BCE)
• Interpreter of Confucius for his age
• Confucian advantage
• Confucian Classics
• Written during the Chou edited by the Han
• Why were they chosen?
• The Ju, Confucius and the I Ching
• Classic of Rituals, the Li-ching, regarding Women
• Orthopraxy vs. Orthodoxy
• The influence of Confucius on China
• Transformation and influence of the ju class

37: The Emergence of Taoism

• Ssu-ma Ch'ien: Confucius meets Lao Tzu
• Confucianism and Taoism complementary Philosophies
• First evidence of Taoism, 3rd century BCE
• Taoism under the Han Dynasty
• Literary beginnings of Alchemical Taoism
• Taoist Classics
• The Continuing Diversity of Taoism

38: The Period of Disunity (221-589 CE)

• The conquests of Emperor Wu
• Wang Mang & the Hsin dynasty (9 to 23 CE)
• Dominance of Confucianism further polarizes the classes
• Continuing Chinese political mechanism: clan vs. state
• Peasant Revolt and Suppression
• Period of Disunity and the Fall of Confucianism
• The growth of Taoism and Social Chaos
• Buddhism's entrance into China
• Taoist response to Buddhism

39: Wang Pi (226-249 CE)

• Wang Pi's Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching
• Why the distortion?
• Tao Te Ching Song-poem 38
• Some practical examples
• Wang Pi on Song-poem 38
• Some more of Wang Pi's flowers
• I Ching Song-Poem 51: Thunder

40: Sui (581-618 CE) & T’ang (618-907 CE) Dynasties

• Remembering the Period of Disunity
• Government based on capital city, not boundaries
• Factors in the Sui ascendancy
• Three T'o-pa Innovations
• Military garrisons on the borders
• Chronology of the Sui & T'ang Emperors
• Affinity between the Chinese & Nomadic Military Aristocracies
• Influence of the peasantry
• Typical warrior kings
• Imperial China’s Influence strongest when Central Asian Tribes managed
• Return of the shih

41: Rise, Fall & Transformation of Buddhism during the T’ang

• Another unsuccessful attempt at imperial Taoism
• The Spread of Buddhism into China through writings
• Chinese preference for 'Utterances of the Original Master'
• Importance of sutras due to difficulties of cross-cultural communications
• Distortions of Chinese translations
• Taoism & Confucianism join forces
• The Death of T'ang Tolerance
• The Death of Institutional Buddhism
• Buddhism + Taoism = Ch'an [Zen] Buddhism