The Han Synthesis
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Han Synthesis philosophies of China. In The Analects the Chinese sage Confucius says of statecraft: “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn to it”.Confucianism had been all but outlawed under the Chin Emperor, but in 206 BC the Han dynasty came to power and held sway for over 400 years. They brought Confucian thought to the heart of government, his favourite books became set texts for the world’s first civil service exam and in a grand intellectual project ‘The Great Tao’ was combined with ‘The Five Phases’ and with the Yin and the Yang.Who were the Han? How did they bring these strands of thought together into the great founding moment of Chinese culture? And what drove them to their extraordinary intellectual task?With Christopher Cullen, Director of the Needham Research Institute; Carol Michaelson, Assistant Keeper of Chinese Art in the Department of Asia at the British Museum; Roel Sterckx, Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Guests
-
Christopher Cullen No other episodes
Director of the Needham Research Institute - Carol Michaelson
2 episodes
Assistant Keeper of Chinese Art in the Department of Asia at the British Museum - Roel Sterckx
4 episodes
Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Cambridge
Related episodes
-
Confucius
1 Nov, 2001 180 Ancient, medieval, and Eastern philosophy -
Chinese Legalism
10 Dec, 2015 950 History of Asia -
China’s Warring States period
1 Apr, 2004 950 History of Asia -
Sun Tzu and The Art of War
1 Mar, 2018 950 History of Asia -
Daoism
16 Dec, 2010 290 Other religions -
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
27 Jun, 2013 950 History of Asia -
The An Lushan Rebellion
16 Feb, 2012 950 History of Asia -
The Long March
29 Nov, 2018 950 History of Asia -
Tang Era Poetry
12 May, 2022 890 Other literatures -
Sources of Early Chinese History
23 Jan, 2014 950 History of Asia -
Aristotle’s Politics
6 Nov, 2008 320 Political science -
Stoicism
3 Mar, 2005 100 Philosophy -
The Arthashastra
3 Mar, 2022 320 Political science -
The Battle of Talas
9 Oct, 2014 950 History of Asia -
Journey to the West
20 May, 2021 890 Other literatures -
Li Shizhen
28 Nov, 2019 610 Medicine and health -
Common Sense Philosophy
21 Jun, 2007 100 Philosophy -
Marcus Aurelius
25 Feb, 2021 180 Ancient, medieval, and Eastern philosophy -
The Needham Question
19 Oct, 2006 500 Science -
Xenophon
26 May, 2011 930 History of the Ancient World
Programme ID: p004y29t
Episode page: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y29t
Auto-category: 951 (China)