Name: Do Quang Minh

Student ID: 1624712

Assignment for Session 4
Confucius
1. Read the part of Introduction to Confucius’ the Analects and summarize its main ideas in
a paragraph of about 50 words.
The Analects, a compilation of Confucius’s sayings by his disciples, reflects his
profound impact on East Asian societies. It presents his teachings through varied
anecdotes and dialogues, emphasizing moral philosophy, humanity, and proper conduct.
The text’s diversity illustrates the evolving interpretations of Confucius’s ideas over
centuries.
2. According to the Analects (focus on others its excerpts in the textbook), what should one think
of education/study, of himself, and of the people around?
According to the Analects, education is a lifelong journey of self-improvement
and moral cultivation. One should view themselves as a student always striving for
personal virtue and excellence: practicing the old - exploring the new, deducing things
from one thing, staying a love of learning, and not giving up before starting.
Regarding others, one should practice goodness, loyalty and reciprocity: enjoying
what you have, treating people with respect and kindness, as these are the foundations of
a harmonious society.

Laozi
1. Write down the couples of things in contrast in the excerpts from the Daodejing in the
textbook. What is the relationship(s) between them?
The “nameless” and “named”: as mother of myriad creatures is the complement of the
beginning of heaven and earth, the “nameless” and “named” are technically similar since the
birth of the creature marks the beginning of heaven and earth.
The “desire” and “non-desire”: Likewise, these two are claimed as the same. Indeed, the
“rid yourself of desires” is a kind of desire, and “allow yourself to have desires” is ridding
yourself some motivations of desire to have the acceptance.
And this complement relationship defines the whole world: beautiful - ulgy, good - bad,
something - nothing, difficult - easy, long - short, high - low, note - sound, before - after. So, by
emphasizing one side, we emphasize its opposite. For example, to recognize the beautiful, we
also have a sense of what is not beautiful - ugly.
2. Read carefully chapter III, then explain (in about 20 words) what “no action” is in the last
sentence of this chapter.
“Action” like “desire” is a never-ending cycle, so “no action” is not doing what
you want to do and being immersed in the flow of things, which makes order prevailed.
3. Write down the details appearing in the excepts from the Daodejing in which the author
talks about his philosophical ideas in the way of antithesis (phản đề).
 Being and Non-Being: The Daodejing often contrasts the concepts of being (you) and
non-being (wu). For instance, it states that while we live in the realm of being, it is through non-
being (such as the emptiness within a vessel) that we find utility.
Action and Non-Action (Wuwei): The text contrasts action (wei) with non-action
(wuwei), suggesting that the highest form of action is non-action. This doesn’t mean doing
nothing, but rather acting in harmony with the Dao, which often involves refraining from
unnecessary or forced actions.
Knowledge and Ignorance: The Daodejing suggests that true wisdom comes from
recognizing what we don’t know. It contrasts the pursuit of knowledge, which can lead to
arrogance and detachment from the Dao, with a state of ‘not-knowing’ or ‘ignorance’, which is
closer to the natural state of things and the Dao.
Softness and Hardness: The text often contrasts the soft and the hard, suggesting that
what is soft and yielding (like water) can overcome what is hard and rigid. This serves as a
metaphor for the power of gentleness and flexibility over force and rigidity.

Zhuangzi
1. Write down the incidents of fable (ngụ ngôn) and metaphor (ẩn dụ) the author uses in the
excerpts (chapter 1 and chapter 2) of Zhuangzi.
Chapter 1: The story of the fish Kun transforming into the bird Peng is a fable that
illustrates the transformation from one state of being to another. The immense fish and the
heavens-spanning bird are metaphors for different states of existence.
Chapter 2: The story of Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly is a well-known fable that
questions the nature of reality2. The butterfly dream is a metaphor for the fluidity and
uncertainty of our perceptions3.
2. Summarize (in a paragraph of about 50-70 words) the philosophical lessons the author
wants to conduct after those fables and metaphors.
The philosophical lessons Zhuangzi wants to convey through these fables and metaphors
revolve around the themes of transformation, perception, and the nature of reality. He encourages
readers to recognize the fluidity of existence and the limitations of our perceptions. He suggests
that by embracing these concepts, we can achieve a state of “carefree wandering,” free from rigid
beliefs and open to the vast possibilities of existence

Aristotle
1. According to Aristotle, what is a tragedy? What is the emotional effect likely caused by a
tragedy in its audiences?
According to Aristotle, a tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complex, and
of a certain magnitude, in embellished language. It arouses feelings of pity and fear in the
audience, what we call catharsis, or purging of these emotions in its audiences.
2. Write down the main aspects which are constitutive of a tragedy according to Aristotle?
Summarize each aspect in a paragraph of about 30-40 words.
Aristotle outlined three main aspects including six constituent elements - media
(Language and Melody), manner (Spectacle), and objects (Plot, Character, Thought) in a tragedy:
 Plot, Character and Thought: The plot, posited as the most important part of a tragedy, is
the complete arrangement of events with a beginning, middle, and end. Character is universally
enacted by men in action with success or failure, and is in virtue of a quality. Finally, Thought
presented in characters’ utterances to express themes, and philosophical concepts of the tragedy.
Language and Melody: In tragedy, the language, defines as the compostion of the verses,
is embellished language, which itself have rhythm and melody. And Melody is the chorus
contribute to the mood and atmosphere of the tragedy.
Spectacle: The visual elements of a tragedy, including scenery, costumes, and special
effects, should complement the story and not overshadow the plot and characters, as Aristotle
preferred tragedy over epic due to its dependence on performance rather than narrative.
3. According to Aristotle, what is a city-state and what parts does it consist of? What is a
citizen in an Athenian democracy?
Aristotle viewed the city-state, or polis, as a community of persons formed with a view to
some good purpose. It is the highest kind of community, aiming at the highest of goods. The city-
state is made up of several parts, including households and villages. Aristotle defined citizenship
functionally, rather than by birth or status. He understood participation and political authority to
be essential to citizenship, and tied the definition of citizenship tightly to his theory of the good
human life and to his ethics of virtue.
In an Athenian democracy, a citizen would likely be a free adult male who participates in
the political life of the city-state.

Writing
Create a reference consisting of the units of reading excerpted in the textbook (the re-
compiled version by the lecturer) for session 4 (Aristotle, Aristotle’s Politics, Confucius,
Daodejing/Laozi, Zhuangzi) in which they are listed in APA style.
References

Aristotle. (384 – 322 B.C.E). Aristotle’s Politics. The Norton Anthology of World

Literature (2018, 4th ed.) recompiled by lecturer Le Nguyen Long. Troy University.

Confucius. (551 – 479 B.C.E). Analects. The Norton Anthology of World

Literature (2018, 4th ed.) recompiled by lecturer Le Nguyen Long. Troy University.

Laozi. (6th – 3rd centuries B.C.E). Daodejing. The Norton Anthology of World

Literature (2018, 4th ed.) recompiled by lecturer Le Nguyen Long. Troy University.

Zhuangzi. (4th – 2nd centuries B.C.E). Zhuangzi. The Norton Anthology of World

Literature (2018, 4th ed.) recompiled by lecturer Le Nguyen Long. Troy University.