The paper will look at the Analects of Confucius in comparison to the Epic of Gilgamesh in regards to the beliefs of the Chinese and Mesopotamian people. The cultures of China and Mesopotamia were made up of completely different political and religious structures and principles. This does not mean that there were not some areas with similarities. First Confucianism is a complex system of values and religious practices that were passed down by Confucius and his followers in a collection of quotes called the Analects of Confucius which were written between 551-479 BC.
Confucius was a philosopher and a politician who lived his life by a certain moral code. He took time to impart his code and knowledge to any person who wanted to learn and listen. He had a strong belief in the social good. He felt that if a person cared for themselves then others would do the same saying “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” Confucius felt that it was important to live a virtuous life and that this could only be achieved if the person continually strived for self-improvement. This is because only by abiding by a system of virtue can one inspire someone else. He felt that it was very important to abide by how you tell others to live. Nevertheless, he was willing to go against or adhere to things based on his own views.
One thing that was noticeable was that Confucius seemed to be quite sarcastic and opinionated. In many of the writings one gets the idea that Confucius decided if a person was good or evil based on his personal opinion of them, even though he mentioned many times that he could not judge a person by one event because he did not know them. One thing about Confucius was that he hated ceremony and did not care for having rites for those who had died. He did however feel that a person should mourn their mother for three years.
The Epic of Gilgamesh did not focus on inner but outer strength. It was believed that the strength of the king was a direct representation of the strength of the gods. it was also believed by the Mesopotamians that the gods would cause calamities to occur in order to help humans. This is different from Confucianism which adheres to the idea that the spirits must be available. This can only happen if enough people believe in the cause. They felt that they only succeeded with the will of the gods. The Chinese understood their gods to be protectors and they felt that by sacrificing to them and living virtuously that they ensured their protection.
The Mesopotamians by contrast believed as demonstrated in the Epic of Gilgamesh that the gods were angry at humankind because of their cruelty. This is why the gods created Enkidu a wild man in order to bring down king Gilgamesh, who had become a cruel tyrant. This is because he was too intent of displaying his strength and power saying “My fame will be secure to all my sons.'" There are many characters outside of Gilgamesh who face the wrath of the gods in the story. Enkidu himself is given a sexually transmitted disease and dies after angering the gods by killing the Bull of Heaven. After his experiences with the gods Gilgamesh is able to return to his kingdom a wiser and more patient ruler.
Like the Chinese gods of Confucianism, the Mesopotamian gods of Gilgamesh also acted as protectors of the people and were angered when the people refused to abide by the moral codes that had been given to them. They believed that adhering to the moral codes that were passed down helped to ensure a balanced and harmonious society. For the Mesopotamians dismissing the well-being or behaving cruelly towards another invoked the anger of the gods.
One can see that despite their differences one example being that the Mesopotamians believed that the gods chose the leaders and that they had a divine connection with the gods. The Chinese and Mesopotamians both believed that moral values were extremely important in their societies and that it was the responsibility of their leaders to be examples of moral principles and virtues in order to properly direct their people on how to live.
In conclusion bot the Mesopotamians and the Chinese believed that it was important to live moral lives and to please the gods. However, while the Chinese believed that it was everyone’s job to be an example of virtue. The Mesopotamians felt that it was most important for the rulers to be virtuous in order to gain help in ensuring the continual well-being of their people from the gods.
References
Anastaplo, George. But Not Philosophy: Seven Introductions to Non-Western Thought. Oxford: Lexington Books, 2002.
Confucius, Burton Watson. The analects of Confucius. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010.
Confucius, Thomas F. Cleary. The Essential Confucius: The Heart of Confucius' Teachings in Authentic I Ching Order: a Compendium of Ethical Wisdom. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
Foster, Benjamin R., Douglas Frayne, and Gary M. Beckman. The Epic of Gilgamesh: A New Translation, Analogues, Criticism. New York: Norton, 2001.
