Director, Environmental Studies
Professor of English

Examples of answers to the Midterm

Example of a “short answer definition” (3 points)

Confucianism

A religious philosophy and ethical system native to China founded around 500 b.c.e. by Confucius, and was the principal intellectual force 200 b.c.e-200 c.e., and 1200-1900. The central focus originally was on human nature, ethics, social harmony, and politics. As time went on, Confucianism added theories of reality that drew from Daoism and Buddhism.

Example of a “full paragraph definition” (10 points)

Integrated Field of Action and Response

In the fundamental Chinese view of reality, all things are radically interconnected and dynamic. Rather than a collection of separate things, reality is a single, integrated field of ongoing stimulus and response. While the West has tended to see things as basically inert and needing energy or a “push” to move them, for the Chinese things are by their nature in movement, acting on their inherent nature. While the West has tended to see action as inherent disorderly and in need of external control, traditionally the Chinese believe that have reality is naturally harmonious. Because of reason and will, however, humans have the unique ability to act contrary to their nature and to attempt to control nature’s processes. This leads to disharmony and disorder. The spiritual ideal is to realize our true nature, which enables us to enter into the spontaneous harmony of nature’s movements.

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