10 new year's resolutions you can steal from philosophers
Finding New Year’s resolutions isn’t always easy. To help you out, we’ve gotten ideas from some of the greatest thinkers of all time.
01 January, 2018
Can't think of a resolution?
Finding New Year's resolutions isn't always easy. To help you out, we've gotten ideas from some of the greatest thinkers of all time.
<h2>1. Go for a walk every day.</h2>
<p>“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right."</p>
<p>― Søren Kierkegaard</p><p>Kierkegaard, <a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/gods-answer-to-nietzsche-the-philosophy-of-soren-kierkegaard">whose angst would cripple even the most dramatic teenager</a>, often found refuge from the anxiety of existence in walks. Failing that, he tried to explain the difficulty of his life in his writings. He had a lot to say about angst, anxiety, God, death, and coming to terms with freedom.</p><h2>2. Embrace yourself—and others—as a complete ecosystem.</h2>
<p>"I have laboured carefully, not to mock, lament, or execrate human actions, but to understand them; and, to this end, I have looked upon passions, such as love, hatred, anger, envy, ambition, pity, and the other perturbations of the mind, not in the light of vices of human nature, but as properties, just as pertinent to it, as are heat, cold, storm, thunder, and the like to the nature of the atmosphere, which phenomena, though inconvenient, are yet necessary, and have fixed causes, by means of which we endeavor to understand their nature, and the mind has just as much pleasure in viewing them aright, as in knowing such things as flatter the senses."</p>
<p>— Spinoza (edited)</p><p>Spinoza, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVEeXjPiw54&t">whose philosophy is fascinating</a>, saw the universe as deterministic. Every action, therefore, had an immediate cause that could be discovered. If you can find out what made a person angry, violent, pitiful, or depressed, it becomes easier to understand their actions and simpler to forgive their faults. Coming to terms with the idea that everyone has lots to deal with, things that might make them unpleasant for a while, can make us all a little more understanding.</p><h2>3. Try to live like water.</h2>
<p>The best, like water, benefit all and do not compete.</p><p>
They dwell in lowly spots that everyone else scorns.</p><p>
Putting others before themselves, they find themselves in the foremost place and come very near to the Tao.</p><p>
In their dwelling, they love the earth; in their heart, they love what is deep.</p><p>
In personal relationships, they love kindness.</p><p>
In their words, they love truth. In the world, they love peace.</p><p>
In personal affairs, they love what is right. In action, they love choosing the right time.</p><p>
It is because they do not compete with others that they are beyond the reproach of the world.</p>
<p>-Laozi</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">The Tao, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFb7Hxva5rg&t">also known as the Way</a>, is often compared to water. Generous, soft and flowing, pure, regenerating, and often cyclical; to be like water is to embrace the Way. Water's weaknesses, the fact it is soft and gentle, make it more powerful; it can flow anywhere and even wear down stone. A better example of the harmony of opposites is hard to find. <br> <br><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODI0MDc3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzQzODQxMH0.BM9R7SXvDCy-fDt64mqjbDKmiX8nm7rOuUbrdm04rpo/img.jpg?width=980" id="6733b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dc02377a4845636010af47d81d51ba1f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p><p><em>Pictured: Life goals?<br></em></p><h2><strong>4. Examine your life and beliefs regularly.</strong></h2>
<p>“The unexamined life is not worth living."</p>
<p>-Socrates</p><p>The gadfly of Athens made it his job to examine every belief, no matter how widely held, and determine if it was true or not. Often, he would ask people to define a virtue, such as courage, only to find that the people who valued it most had no idea what it was. It is only by examining our lives that we can hope to improve them.</p><h2><strong>5. Read a new book each month.</strong></h2>
<p>"The Brahmins had no cattle, no gold, no wealth. They had study as their wealth and grain."</p>
<p> -Buddha</p><p>The Brahmins were the teachers and holy men of <a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/10-indian-thinkers-and-why-you-should-know-them" target="_blank">ancient India</a>, and continue as a caste to this day. In theory, they were the highest social class. Rather than focus on money and worldly affairs, they valued learning and knowledge. The Buddha reminds us that these respected men were men of the mind and encouraged us to follow their example. </p><h2><strong>6. Spend more time with your friends.</strong></h2>
<p>The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake."</p>
<p>- Aristotle <br><br>Aristotle thought friendship was vital to living a good life, but not just any friends would do. <a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/do-you-have-true-friendships-why-aristotle-thinks-you-dont">He had a three-part system for understanding friendship</a>. The most genuine friendships, the ones that everyone should strive for, are the ones where two people value each other as people and not as a means to an end. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><strong><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODI0MDc3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTYyODg1OH0.c2IPiYavg2yHAJYJ_tDctHq1o1_sMSAUzjmK0E-9HJQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="07e41" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2b0e4586c0e0b6f9e56f1a169bfab732" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></strong></p><h2><strong>7. Be less of the person you are expected to be, and more of the person you want to be.</strong></h2>
<p>"Become who you are!"</p>
<p>-Nietzsche</p><p>Nietzsche, <a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/nietzsches-top-15-aphorisms-for-your-next-existential-crisis">who has other excellent one-line ideas</a>, was the king of individuality. There was nothing worse for Nietzsche than for a person to join the herd of people who just followed along. While he was a determinist, he still argued that we should embrace our lives and whatever comes at us. </p><h2><strong>8. Strive for excellence every day.</strong></h2>
<p>“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"</p>
<p> -Aristotle</p><p>Aristotle viewed virtues as skills, ones that we would strive to perfect over our lifetimes. To be virtuous was to embody an excellence in a particular area such as courage, temperance, or friendship. Doing it once or twice wasn't enough, you had to make a habit of it to truly embody the virtue. </p><h2><strong>9. Embrace change.</strong></h2><p>
"One cannot step twice in the same river twice,"<br>
</p><p>-Heraclitus</p><p>Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who argued that everything was always changing. Not only does this mean that the river changes, but you do as well. Rather than trying to latch onto things that cannot last, we should embrace the notion that everything will soon pass. </p><h2><strong>10. Take charge of your life.</strong></h2><p>
"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay."</p>
<p>-Simone de Beauvoir</p><p>Existentialism shows us how we are all responsible for what we are and will become. Waiting for your life to change is an option, but one that denies your ability to shape yourself into what you desire to be. Seize the day! </p><div class="video-full-card-placeholder" data-slug="philip-kitcher-its-possible-to-live-without-philosophy-but-it-wouldnt-be-wise" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
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10 Chinese Thinkers, and Why You Should Know Them
The world's most populated country has had its fair share of great minds. Here, we take a quick look at ten thinkers you might not have thought about.
18 April, 2017
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0dea3b80-8e18-c0ec-de02-3a5ac69bd666"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The world’s most populous country is home to some of the world’s most interesting philosophical traditions. Going hand in hand with the world’s longest continuous history is an unbroken chain of thought that blends and complements opposing schools to create fascinating, beautiful, and practical approaches to life.</span><span><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span>Here is a list of ten of the greatest, most influential thinkers in Chinese history. Some you will have heard of, others... not so much. All of them are worth your time, and your study.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span> </span>1. <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/laozi/" target="_blank">Lao Tzu </a>(6th to 5th century BCE)</p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTgzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjYxNDIxOX0.oyldwishhDWZpzbz0iGabXvq_s9GsDAqaadg0ja-yR0/img.jpg?width=980" id="5c8c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eaa499bf3aaf5c5c5d2e074d5471628e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The Semi-legendary founder of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism" target="_blank"><span>Taoism</span></a><span>. Discouraged by the immorality of the nobility he served, he retired from statecraft to live in isolation. Before vanishing he left a solder with a collection of his thoughts, </span><strong><em>The Tao Te Ching</em></strong><span>. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFb7Hxva5rg" target="_blank"><span>His philosophy</span></a><span> advocates naturalness, the truth of “</span><strong>The Way</strong><span>”, compassion, moderation, and humility. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.</strong>” </span></p> <p dir="ltr"> 2. <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/" target="_blank">Confucius</a> (551- 479 BCE)</p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDU5MzAxOX0.7wqCpEMZl1tVYCxxcH7rwbSAzU9siANEEu-F3tvhTxo/img.png?width=980" id="fa41e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1df016e4de1f8af9803246ab68dd3b17" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>It is impossible to talk about the history of China without talking about Confucius. Working his way up from a minor government post, he founded the philosophy of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism" target="_blank"><span>Confucianism </span></a><span>and attempted to get feudal governments to rule more virtuously. He devised the “</span><span><strong>Golden Rule</strong>”</span><span> as a principle of morality, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUhGRh4vdb8" target="_blank"><span>and exemplified his own brand of humanism</span></a><span>. His </span><a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/virtue-ethics-the-moral-system-you-have-never-heard-of-but-have-probably-used" target="_blank"><span>virtue ethics</span></a><span> have been among the most important ideas in Chinese history.</span><span><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span><br class="kix-line-break"></span><span>“<strong>Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr">3. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozi" target="_blank">Mozi</a> (468 – ca. 391 BCE)</p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDIyOTM5Nn0.esf0dhOdBMhctDbaZH0Obng0jZ55AhDmty8ZGYWjaCw/img.png?width=980" id="3381f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cac45dc7479f99ae7436fdc991fbaa2d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQzNDkxNn0.FLqW8L9cxvzRbeIxGoVn8Cs0NukGxlISK_pToCO6Bk4/img.png?width=980" id="a8cd5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2bc6b2f74f26a756668f2614abbfb090" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Founder of </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mohism/" target="_blank"><span>Mohism</span></a><span>, an ancient school of logic and scientific thought. It stood opposed to both Taoist metaphysics and Confucian dedication to ritual. Portions of his thought were eventually absorbed into both Legalism and Confucianism. He has the distinction of being the world’s first </span><a href="http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/how-much-we-trust-someone-depends-on-their-response-to-this-moral-dilemma" target="_blank"><span>consequentialist </span></a><span>ethical philosopher.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>Whoever criticizes others must have something to replace them. Criticism without suggestion is like trying to stop flood with flood and put out fire with fire. It will surely be without worth.</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>4. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_Yang" target="_blank"><span>Shang Yang</span></a><span> 390–338 BCE</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzY3NDYyOH0.kfLSva_sXxrYYzHBR24u9YLEaTJu4X_Y7r6Mxkxzty0/img.png?width=980" id="db130" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9e7c0389460d736a6572b775241a7880" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTM4NTgzNX0.x2r3ylyJ3EPGlYGCZJVmYPiC0HKs22_6D3Fy3HYAe3g/img.png?width=980" id="1108c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="595f6d373fc58d79bf853fdd28a189d7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Statesman, architect of the Qin State, political theorist, and founder of the school of </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-legalism/" target="_blank"><span>Legalism</span></a><span>; a philosophy that ignores morality and the ideal society in favor of a pure interest in how the law can be carried out for the sake of stability. After enacting his changes to the Qin state and overseeing its rapid increase in power, he was assassinated by Qin nobles whose power he was jeopardizing with his commitments to meritocracy and centralization.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>The reality of human beings is that they have things they love and things they hate; therefore they can be governed.</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span><br></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>5. </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mencius/" target="_blank"><span>Mencius</span></a><span> (372-289 BCE)</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span> </span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDMyOTQ5OX0.ueILrXWtJfdiIH--vX2EDZDLFsDYX8YVGMaUHXqPZ3Y/img.png?width=980" id="3e5f3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a6a6c26ee4837929663b462afdfda49b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTExMDEzMn0.l0fhJv2mZaJ3a0DRwqX3AN8WYtQu9YRnOEPREcY-SNo/img.png?width=980" id="93f42" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7082187d8952b7adce7ffe9f5cbf958e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The most famous Confucian thinker after Confucius himself. </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mencius/" target="_blank"><span>He expanded on ideas not yet developed in Confucianism</span></a><span>, such as the basic goodness of human nature, and was better able to convince the nobility of the wisdom of his thinking than Confucius was. He proposed an early version of the social contract legitimizing revolution against poor leaders. His chief work, </span><strong><em>The Mencius</em></strong><span>, is regarded as a key work in Neo-Confucian thought. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>6. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Heng" target="_blank"><span>Zhang Heng</span></a><span> (78–139 CE)</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span> </span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDI2MTYzN30.nmyWb5kqZynW1XfRpRCobmlnD8pH5pEsbPSk7l5byB0/img.png?width=980" id="87cea" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4f8ab477c4d1991742ca72a4f939c88d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg0OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODQ5MDA5MH0.DB4Gwnwq6LsB8_EFxiUW7med4I-gg3I6fusns8JD9Dw/img.png?width=980" id="142d8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2f0c44a9de0ac2761a92470ee17b9fb7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Polymath in the employ of the Han Dynasty. Inventor of the seismometer (a copy of which is shown above), a south pointing compass, the odometer, and a water powered model of the cosmos. Presented a more accurate, and defensible, value for pi than the Chinese had before. His astronomical observations lead to the documentation of 2,500 stars.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>The Sun is like fire and the Moon like water. The fire gives out light and the water reflects it. Thus the moon's brightness is produced from the radiance of the Sun, and the Moon's darkness is due to the sun being obstructed.</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr">7. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huineng">Huineng</a> 638–713 CE</p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDQ2OTUwMn0.wK58JbdpkvTmc9dSVYhizxIKiazfEvgwxweWaqky3lw/img.png?width=980" id="21a82" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d2eaa5d57edf3dd0d4d07ad5785de943" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span> </span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODczNDg2NX0.nRCRgW3K3jt0UV63ijRD8PpmDGtuz-RZuo_dzGvz7yc/img.png?width=980" id="8126e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fc51e8bc53f3e9731eaf79157ad6c939" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The sixth and final patriarch of </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddhism-chan/" target="_blank"><span>Chan Buddhism</span></a><span>. While never literate, he was the author of the Platform Sutra, the only sutra composed by a Chinese Buddhist. His students would go on to form several schools of what is now Chan and Zen Buddhism. All modern schools of Zen trace their lineage to him, and owe a debt to his ideas on enlightenment,practice, and “without-thinking”. The above photograph is of his mummy.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>One flash of wisdom destroys ten thousand years of ignorance.</strong>”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>8. </span><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zhu-xi/" target="_blank"><span>Zhu Xi</span></a><span> 1130–1200 CE </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDAwMDk5M30.-SXjpLPjIqFH3xq02x4RrNG4s3XQIYcm0sQBvV4Ff4I/img.png?width=980" id="269cc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2a0e7c4801728d253459d99af3bbfcac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODM5NjI5OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODg3ODE4NH0.sfDyOsn_5lrFy_gi-2XZQredniC4uaZMo3dgu0MxDqY/img.png?width=980" id="0dcf7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="44d518279989c05bf03fe9cba190a133" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>One of the principle founders of</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Confucianism" target="_blank"><span> Neo-Confucianism</span></a><span>, which blended traditional Confucian ideas with Buddhist and Taoist influences. He paid less attention to the source material for Confucius, and more attention to the Four Books written by Confucius’ and his disciples; which became the new canon. His commentaries on Confucius were the official basis for imperial exams for six hundred years. He was also a noted calligrapher.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>"<strong>If only to know but not to act, it is tantamount to ignorance.</strong>"</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>9. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong" target="_blank"><span>Mao Zedong</span></a><span> 1893-1976 CE</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjI1NTUwMn0.2bLRdBhty4CGZB0pd2CKHf7ehMwlVRV4ZqFzXTA3BQ0/img.png?width=980" id="333ab" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b782560d8fa0782f034abbeafcc27b80" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTYwMDExMH0.SN7QF_a6J4RnQ8Q2-KIrTgcd79i-UPzLxEQxhiLOt4k/img.png?width=980" id="4ba9e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1840cd28f0c7e0e9b7b6c4121e70c8b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Leader of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the People’s Republic. He was the author of the most published book of all time, a collection of his quotations. His philosophy, known as </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoism" target="_blank"><span>Maoism</span></a><span>, expanded on Marxist-Leninist ideas to make them more applicable to a semi-feudal, semi-colonial, agricultural society. He is revered as a God by many people today. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery. It cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous</strong>.”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>10. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deng_Xiaoping" target="_blank"><span>Deng Xiaoping</span></a><span> 1904-1997 CE</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span> </span><span><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTg1Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzEyMzk5OH0.xZvYAOcXJ87XWttFoOPMJQPdLithSw_CR7ASkBwNAeo/img.png?width=980" id="248e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="048fc82b1ae14951a56cee112e7ca7df" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>A successor to Mao, and the mind behind the system known as “</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deng_Xiaoping_Theory" target="_blank"><span>Deng Xiaoping Theory</span></a><span>”. His chief contributions to Chinese Communism include the idea of “</span><strong>Two systems, one Country</strong><span>”, “</span><strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism_with_Chinese_characteristics" target="_blank">Socialism with Chinese Characteristics</a></strong><span>” and the opening up policies enacted in the late 1970’s. He is often credited with jump starting China’s modern, meteoric, economic growth.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>“<strong>A basic contradiction between socialism and the market economy does not exist.</strong>”</span></p>
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