Cao Cao (155-220 AD) was a Chinese general and warlord credited for unifying China after a tumultuous period following the demise of the Qin Dynasty in 206 AD. He was cast as a villain in the fictional but highly influential 14th century account, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, however modern-day scholars have ascribed more benevolent qualities to Cao Cao for being a brilliant strategist, leader, and poet. The scribes who shaped the written accounts about Cao Cao often judged him against moral standards, especially the extent to which he adhered to the principles of their own belief systems, including Confucianism or Daoism. Cao Cao was said to have hated the 'Yellow Turban Daoist rebels' and instead allied with Confucianism, the dominant belief system of Han Dynasty elites of which he was a part. On the other hand, Cao Cao allegedly killed the direct descendants of Confucius, which casts that theory into dispute!
Activity: To ascribe character attributes to Cao Cao drawn from Confucianism/Daoism
- Watch the video clip below.
- Ask yourself what type of person Cao Cao appears to be from his speech, looking at the spirit of the speech in its entirety as well as specific phrases and passages.
- Jot down on a piece of paper or mindmap a list of adjectives you would use to describe Cao Cao's character based on the video and compare them with what you know about Confucianism and Daoism.
- Write two or three sentences how Cao Cao's character reflects principles in either Confucianism or Daoism or both.
- Post in Padlet (below).
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjP8_KdtlO0
Excerpt of Cao Cao's speech:
In this world there is no such thing as an ever-victorious commander. There are only commanders who do not give up after a defeat, who grow stronger from experience, and who eventually emerge as victors. Our army of 830,000 men embarked on a conquest in the south but was defeated by Sun Quan and Liu Beu with just about 60,000 men.
Why?
I think the fundamental reason was that in recent years we have won too many battles.
The army became arrogant, the generals lazy, the civil servants indolent and the military officers, frivolous. We - especially I - became conceited and underestimated the enemy. I could not even see through a simple battered-body ruse. This resulted in the success of Wu's fire attack.
So, you see, I think it was time for us to taste the bitterness of defeat. Failure is a good thing. Failure teaches us how to succeed. Failure teaches us how we can achieve victory.
Padlet instructions:
- Then Click on the shelf below your name label to add upload a picture or file, write text, or draw an image or text. Slide the bottom ruler to the right to see all the names.
- Pictures and images need to be accompanied by two or three sentences stating how your interpretation of Cao Cao's character is aligned or not aligned with Confucianism, Daoism, or both. I put in a few examples to get you started.
- Only likes are allowed 👍👍👍
