Three Chinese Philosophies
Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism
The Zhou Dynasty
• After taking over from the
Shang around 1100 BC, the
Zhou held China for several
centuries.
• Historians often divide the
Zhou dynasty into two
periods.
• During the first period, kings
ruled from Xian (Chang’an).
This was generally a peaceful
period, during which the
Zhou made many cultural
achievements.
• Later, however, conflict
arose in China. This is call the
Warring States Period.
Government
• To gain acceptance for their
rule, the Zhou introduced
the idea that they ruled by
the Mandate of Heaven.
• This principle stated that
the gods would support a
just ruler, but they would
not allow anyone corrupt to
hold power.
• The reason the Shang were
overthrown, the Zhou
explained, was because
they had lost the gods’
favor:
• “We do not presume to
know and say that the lords
of [Shang] received
Heaven’s mandate for soand-so many years; we do
not know and say that it
could not have been
prolonged. It was that they
did not reverently attend to
their virtue and so they
prematurely threw away
their mandate.”
• — Duke of Zhou, quoted in
Sources of Chinese Tradition
Feudalism
• Under feudalism, the
king owned all the land.
• The king gave land to
supporters called lords.
• In exchange, lords
supplied soldiers to the
king.
• The lords had absolute
power over the
peasants.
Hundred Schools of Thought
• The conflicts of the late
Zhou period led many
Chinese thinkers to
question the nature of
society and of people’s
roles in it.
• The effort to make sense
of the chaos led to the
creation of many new
Chinese philosophies, or
ways of looking at the
world.
The Three Most Influential Schools
• Confucianism teaches proper behavior and leading by
example.
• Daoism teaches simple living and that the best rulers
rule the least.
• Legalism teaches that people are selfish and most be
ruled with an iron fist.
Confucius
• Confucianism is based on the
teachings of a scholar named
Kongfuzi, better known in the West
as Confucius.
• Born around 550 BCE, Confucius
believed that people should treat
one another humanely.
• Confucius believed love and respect
had disappeared during his lifetime
and that its disappearance was
responsible for the violence in
society.
• He believed that by restoring a
respect for tradition, society would
once again become stable and
orderly.
Confucianism
• In The Analects, Confucius
states that a ruler should treat
his subjects fairly.
• In turn, subjects should reward
their ruler with respect and
loyalty.
• People need to respect the
members of their family.
• Children must respect their
parents and elder relatives, and
parents have to care for their
children with love and kindness.
• It is the duty of all educated
people to devote themselves to
public service.
The Influence of Confucianism
• Confucius’s ideas were
influential in Chinese
history for centuries.
• He wrote that a ruler
should be advised by
qualified, well-informed
people, which led
China’s emperors to
select civil servants
based on merit rather
than birth.
The Founder of Daoism
• The exact origins of Daoism
(Taoism) are unclear, but many
Daoist teachings are attributed to
a philosopher named Laozi (Lao
Tzu).
• He was among the first people in
China to write about Daoist beliefs,
which he did in a book called the
Dao De Jing.
• Dao De Jing includes a number of
short sayings that summarize
Daoist thought.
The Teachings of Daoism (Taoism)
• At the heart of Daoism
is the concept of the
dao, or the way.
• Through the dao, all
things in nature are
connected.
• Daoism encourages
people to retreat from
the laws of society and
yield to the laws of
nature.
• By finding one’s place
in nature, it is possible
for a person to achieve
harmony with the
universe.
• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and
is not intent on arriving.
• An ant on the move does more than a
dozing ox.
• Great acts are made up of small deeds.
• The truth is not always beautiful, nor
beautiful words the truth.
• Nature does not hurry, yet everything is
accomplished.
• Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing
lacking, the whole world belongs to
you.”
• Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't
have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want
to.’
• Governing a large country is like frying
a small fish. You spoil it with too much
poking.
Yin and Yang
• Daoism embraced an
ancient Chinese concept,
the notion of yin and yang.
• Yin and yang represent the
balancing aspect of nature:
male and female, dark and
light, hot and cold.
• Neither yin nor yang can
exist without the other, so it
is important that the two
remain balanced.
• When balanced, yin and
yang represent the perfect
harmony of nature.
The Influence of Daoism
• Daoism encouraged
rulers to rule less
harshly.
• Daoism was an
important influence on
Chinese thought,
writing and art.
The Founder of Legalism
• Legalism was a political
philosophy that did not
address higher
questions like the
nature and purpose of
life.
• Legalism’s most famous
proponent and
contributor was
Hanfeizi (Han-fei-tzu).
The Teachings of Legalism
• Legalism advocated the belief that all people are
selfish and that strict laws and harsh
punishments are required to keep them in order.
• Rulers needed to have total power and a strong
military.
The Influence of Legalism
• Legalism was the
central governing idea
of the Qin Dynasty,
culminating in the
unification of China
under the 'First
Emperor' (Qin
Shihangdi).