Classic China
Schools of Thought
Between 500BC and 200BC (toward the end of
the Zhou Dynasty), three schools of thought
emerged in China.
These ways of thinking focus on the nature of
human beings and how the universe works.
They were called Daoism, Confucianism, and
Legalism.
How Are They Different from the
Other Asian Belief Systems?
Hindus & Buddhists
Focus on freeing the
human soul from the cycle
of suffering and rebirth.
Chinese Philosophers
Concerned about the
material world and
creating a stable society
for people to live in.
Daoism Review
• Founder: Lao Tzu
• Dao translates to mean,
“The Way.”
• Sacred Text: Tao Te Ching,
“Way of the Dao.”
• It is a way of thinking
about how to properly
behave in your life.
• Daoists believe that the way to
follow the will of Heaven is not
through action, but through
inaction.
(Don’t interfere with nature)
(Don’t fight against Heaven)
“The universe is sacred. You cannot improve
it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.”
– Lao Tzu
Daoism Review
Beliefs
• -How you behave in life’s
situations will determine
if you have knowledge,
strength, and balance.
• -It’s not about “what”
happens, it’s about how
you “react.”
• -You must let nature take
its course.
Confucianism
• During one of the
declines of the Zhou
Dynasty, a philosopher
named Confucius
wanted an answer to
one basic question,
“How do we restore
order to this society?”
Chinese symbol for “water”
also is the symbol for
Confucianism.
• Confucius was known as
the First Teacher.
Confucianism
• Confucius was upset by the
violence and moral decay
of the time.
– Warfare
– Mass executions of men,
women, and children.
• He traveled around China
trying to persuade people
to listen to his teachings so
they could repair society.
• His sayings were recorded
in the Analects.
Confucianism
• Confucius thought it was useless
to speculate (think and argue)
about spiritual questions.
• He believed it was better to find
an order in the universe, so that
humans could act in harmony
with the universe.
1970s photo of a Confucian Temple
• Two main ideas:
– Duty/Work Ethic
– Humanity
• “Duty” meant that people
had to subordinate (lower)
their own interests to the
bigger needs of the family &
community.
– If every person fulfills his or
her duty, then the affairs of
society will prosper.
• “Humanity” meant that
humans should have
compassion and empathy for
others.
Confucianism
Five Constant Relationships
Parent & Child
Parents should be loving, children should be respectful.
Husband & Wife
Husbands should fulfill their duties, wives should be obedient/appreciative.
Older sibling & Younger sibling
The older should be kind, the younger should be respectful.
Older friend & Younger friend
The older should be considerate, the younger should be humble/respectful.
Ruler & Subject
Rulers should be benevolent (kind), and subjects should be loyal.
Confucianism
• Confucius was a harsh critic of
his own times.
– Wanted a return to the values
of hard work and responsibility
that was taught during the early
years of the Zhou.
• Believed that political service
(government jobs) should be
open to all men with superior
talent, not limited to just men
of noble birth.
“If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character. If
there is beauty in the character, there will
be harmony in the home. If there is
harmony in the home, there will be order in
the nation. If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.”
-Confucius
Legalism
• Legalism states that human
being are evil by nature.
• Rejected the Confucian
idea that a government ran
by superior men could
solve society’s problems.
– Instead, Legalism
believed there needed
to be a set of
impersonal laws.
• Often referred to as the
“School of Law” rather
than a “School of
Thought.”
Legalism
• Legalists believe that a strong
ruler is required to create an
orderly society.
• They believed that only harsh
laws and stiff punishments
would cause the common
people to serve the interests
of the ruler.
– To them, people are not
capable of being good,
therefore a ruler does not have
to show kindness or
compassion.
Shang Yang, a
leader in Legalist
thought.
Where We Left Off The Last Time
We Studied China
• China fell into a time of civil
war that began in 403BC,
not long before the final fall
of the Zhou Dynasty.
– Lasted almost 200 years.
• Weaponry and fighting
changed dramatically. The
Chinese began to use iron
weapons, ride on
horseback, and invented
the crossbow.
The Qin Unify China
After 200 years of civil war, order was restored
to China when the first Qin emperor unified the
Chinese world.
The dynasty was short-lived, but Qin
Shihuangdi made many important changes to
the unified Chinese people.
Qin Dynasty
• Ruler = Qin Shihuangdi,
which translates to “the
First Qin Emperor.”
– Took the throne of his
region when he was only
13-yrs-old.
• Placed the
capital city at
Xianyang.
• Things he changed…
– Single monetary system
– New roads, leading to
the capital city.
– Reduced the power of
rich aristocrats
– Divided land among the
peasants
– Extended the borders of
China
Qin Dynasty
• When the “First Qin
Emperor’s” tomb was
discovered, it contained a
massive army made out
of terra-cotta.
– It was a recreation of the
imperial guard, meant to
be with the emperor on his
journey to the next world.
– Estimated there are more
than 6,000 figures.
– Also contains horses,
chariots, and bronze
weapons.
Qin Dynasty
• The emperor’s major concern was the north border.
He feared a nomadic people known as the Xiongnu,
who had mastered riding and fighting on horseback.
• Qin Shihuangdi ordered the building of a massive
wall to keep out the nomads. His project is known
today as the “Great Wall of China.”
• In truth, the Wall that we know today wasn’t built
until 1,500 years later. But some of the original
sections from the Qin have survived.
5,500 miles long
Qin Dynasty
• Legalism was adopted
as the ideology of the
empire’s reign.
• Anyone who opposed
the new policies were
punished or executed.
– Books that presented
new, or argumentative
ideas, were publicly
burned.
• Qin Shihuangdi was the
only ruler of the Qin
Dynasty. He had angered
many Chinese people, and
people from all levels
thought he was harsh and
demanding.
• He died in 210BC, and the
dynasty was over thrown
soon after.
• China went back to a time
of civil war, but then a new
dynasty arose, the Han.
Han Dynasty
• Took power in 202BC.
• Founder was Liu Pang, who
came from peasant origins.
– Wanted to discard the
harshness of the Qin.
• Expanded the borders of
China.
• Confucian principles
became the basis of the
new state philosophy.
Han Dynasty
• Kept the Qin system of
choosing government officials
on the basis of their merit
and hard work, rather than
their noble birth.
• They created the “civil service
exam” to tell people what
they were best at, and made
programs to train people.
• Students were required to
learn the teachings of
Confucius, as well as Chinese
history and law.
Han Dynasty
Society
• Demands on peasants
began to make them suffer.
• The population rapidly
tripled, and the land
holdings had to be reduced
to a size barely big enough
to survive.
• Over time they had to sell
their land back to rich
aristocrats.
Han Dynasty
Family
• The Han renewed the
emphasis and
importance of family.
• The family was
responsible for the
economy, education,
and training morals.
Han Dynasty
Economy
• Major expansion of trade
and manufacturing.
• Increase of foreign trade.
• Created the “Silk Road”
that stretched from China
to the Mediterranean Sea.
Han Dynasty
Technology
• Textile (fabric)
manufacturing
• Water mills
• Iron casting
• Papermaking
• New ship designs
Fall of the Han Dynasty
• Weak rulers did not pay attention to
their jobs; their power declined.
• Government corruption
• Aristocrats took more and more
power.
• Peasant uprisings
• 190AD, rebel armies sacked the
capital city.
• 220AD, a military general seized
control and destroyed the Han
dynasty.
– He could not hold on to power.
• Civil war broke out in China. It will
last for 400 years.