1. Neo-Confucianism and the Chinese Bureaucracy

2. Background Why Conf weakened by fall of Han? Revival under Sui/Tang/Song – Supplants Buddhism – Conf Scholar Officials

3. Tang/Song Gov’t Structure Emperor Censorate 6 Major Ministries (e.g. public works, army) Other Bur Roles – Officials in major ministries – Writers of Imperial Decrees – Local Officials – Overseers of Local Officials

4. Exam System Who were the bureaucrats? Expansion of Exam System under Tang/Song Advantages of Educated, Merit-Based Officials?

5. Why an Exam System? Who were the bureaucrats? Expansion of Exam System under Tang/Song Advantages of Educated, Merit-Based Officials? – Cultured not Military – State controls access

6. Exams Discussion What was tested?

7. The civil service exams - Three levels of exams given ~every 3 yrs. 1) Provincial exam given in each of China's ~300 distr's Day 1: 3 questions on the Four Books & 1 poem composition Day 2: Questions ~the Five Classics & repeat part of yesterday to ensure he had indeed written those answers Day 3: Question on some past or present govt. policy Each contestant alone in a sparse cell w/own food to answer questions ~10,000 tested-> searched at 2 gates for cheating mat's-> long time 1% or less passed 2) Metropolitan exam: much like prov. exam 10% pass, despite lots of cheating & crib notes. Proctors copied test answers-> graders couldn' recognize calligraphy 3) Palace Exam: taken in the presence of the emp; 4 tests: 2 on physique & 2 on knowledge Candidate checked for phys. appearance, no accent, calligraphy Contestant wrote life history later to see if calligr. matched exam, Ltd material to test on-> few questions to ask-> rephrase them

8. A typical civil service exam & answer Question: “Confucius said of Zuchan that in him were to be found 4 virtues that belong to the way of the gentleman. What are these virtues? “

9. A typical civil service exam & answer Question: “Confucius said of Zuchan that in him were to be found 4 virtues that belong to the way of the gentleman. What are these virtues? “ Answer: “In his private conduct he was courteous; in serving his master he was punctilious; in providing for the needs of the people he gave them even more than their due; in exacting service from the people he was just. I answer the question with respect.”

10. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi?

11. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi? How did education work?

12. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi? How did education work? Who took the tests?

13. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi? How did education work? Who took the tests? Levels?

14. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi? How did education work? Who took the tests? Levels? Jinshi?

15. Exams Discussion What was tested? What was education system of Zhu Xi? How did education work? Who took the tests? Levels? Jinshi? Chances of Passing?

16. Exams Discussion What was tested? How did education work? What was education system of Zhu Xi? Who took the tests? Levels? Jinshi? Chances of Passing? Meritocracy?

17. Exams Discussion What was tested? How did education work? What was education system of Zhu Xi? Who took the tests? Levels? Jinshi? Chances of Passing? Meritocracy? Modern Standardized Tests?

18. Neo-Confucianism Familiar Confucian Concepts Neo-Confucian Updates – Buddhism/Taoism – Self-Cultivation and Self-Fulfillment Renewal of Social Hierarchy