The Three Chinese
Philosophies/Religions:
Daoism (Taoism),
Legalism &
Confucianism
Dr. Afxendiou
Global History and Geography 9
Daoism/Taoism
FOUNDER
Started by a man
named Laozi (Lao Tsu)
who lived about 600
BC
Lao Tsu believed that
people needed to go
with the flow (wu-wei),
to let nature take its
course
GODS/DEITIES
Most important are THE THREE
PURE
Manifestations of Laozi
The Jade Emperor- the
ruler of heaven and all
levels of existence
SACRED TEXT
The Dao De Jing - The Classic in
the Way and Its Power
Not sacred but the most important
text in the religion. It contains the
teachings of Laozi
KEY BELIEFS
The DAO (TAO) - ‘The Way’ – it is the
first-cause of the universe. It is a force
that flows through all life.
YIN AND YANG - everything in the
universe has a life force of opposites
Must keep the yin and the yang
balanced
Man is unhappy because he lives
according to man-made laws,
customs, and traditions that go
against the ways of nature
Feminine
Passive
Darkness
Cold
Weak
Earth;
Moon
Masculine
Active
Light
Warmth
Strong
Heaven;
Sun
Beliefs…
Wrong for people to fight – go with the
flow of nature
Government is unnatural consequently,
so are its rules and laws
Social order does not exist as it is not
natural, only order created by nature
matters
ULTIMATE GOAL
to become one with Dao; one with
nature.
To escape the “social, political, &
cultural traps” of life. Can only escape
by:
1. Rejecting formal knowledge and
learning.
2. Relying on the senses and instincts.
3. Discovering the nature and
“rhythm” of the universe.
4. Ignoring political and social laws.
MORAL LAW –
3 Jewels to be sought….
Compassion- awareness of another
person’s pain and wanting to relieve it
Moderation- avoid extremes
Humility- modest, don’t brag
EFFECTS ON SOCIETY
POLITICAL
Denied the validity of any government,
thus Daoists did not believe in the
emperor and did not support him.
The government that governs least
governs best
Believed that rules of nature were more
important than rules of government
They were a subversive force
EFFECTS ON SOCIETY
SOCIAL
People are part of nature. Any order
imposed by society is unnatural. This
undermined the social hierarchies of
Chinese society and implied equality.
Legalism
You must first know…
Not really a religion but a political
philosophy
We study it because it guided the
behavior of the Chinese people
It is AUTHORITARIAN - individuals
should obey a powerful authority
rather than exercise individual
freedom
FOUNDER
Han Fei Zi
GODS/DEITIES
None
ULTIMATE GOAL
Maintain order in society
To allow the ruler to stay in power
PLACE OF WORSHIP
None
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
None
HOLY LAND
None
SACRED TEXT
None
Legal writings important
MORAL LAW
None
Follow the laws set by the ruler who is
the ultimate authority
Key Beliefs
All people are fundamentally flawed
and that strict laws and harsh
punishments are needed to keep
them in order
People should be responsible for
other people’s actions. Neighbors and
relatives should also be punished for
not stopping the criminal act
People should be scared into obeying
laws
A bit of history…
Legalism was the dominant
philosophy applied during the QIN
DYNASTY
Qin Shi Huangdi – applied strict rules
and harsh punishments
Did not allow any religions or
philosophies to guide his subjects’
behavior other than his laws
He persecuted Confucian scholars. He
is known for burying them alive
EFFECT ON SOCIETY
POLITICAL
Developed a very harsh system of
government where rulers had absolute
power and people had no rights at all
SOCIAL
People have no rights at all. Society is
organized based on this principle. There
is the absolute ruler, the aristocrats (his
family, advisors, officials) and the rest
Confucianism
FOUNDER
Confucius or Kong
Fuzi – Master Kong
Lived during Zhou
Dynasty
He felt that China
was full of rude,
dishonest people
He wanted people
to return to having
good ethics
GODS/DEITIES
No supernatural power in the
teachings of Confucius
Confucius was made into a god over
the years. His teachings were given
religious aspects during the Han
Dynasty. He never claimed to be
anything other than a man looking to
advise rulers
ULTIMATE GOAL
Create an ethical, orderly society
PLACE OF WORSHIP
Temples
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
None
HOLY LAND
None
SACRED TEXT
None
Most important book The Analects.
Contains the teachings of Confucius.
Written by his students not himself.
MORAL LAW
Confucius established certain
principles that were to guide peoples’
behavior
KEY BELIEFS
FILIAL PIETY – Respect your elders
and your ancestors
The emperor is the example of
proper behavior and morals for
society
Fathers are role models for the family
The 5 relationships
The five relationships
1. Ruler
Subject
2. Father
Son
3. Husband
Wife
4. Older
Brother
Younger
Brother
5. Older
Friend
Younger
Friend
Confucius say…
A man who has committed a mistake
and doesn't correct it is committing
another mistake.
Our greatest glory is not in never
falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Real knowledge is to know the extent
of one's ignorance.
The superior man blames himself; the
inferior man blames others.
A bit of history…
Adopted as the main governing
philosophy during the Han Dynasty
Became the foundation of the
bureaucratic government the Han
established
Bureaucracy – a government run by
government officials
Bureaucrats trained in the Confucian
classics and took civil service exams
on their knowledge
Scholar gentry – the educated class of
bureaucrats
Effect on society
SOCIAL
Created a code of proper conduct within
the five relationships. By knowing what
was expected of them in each
relationship people knew how to behave
so there was order and harmony in
society.
Effect on society
POLITICAL
Introduced the idea of educated civil
servants who became part of Chinese
bureaucracy. During the Han Dynasty
civil servants had to take exams that
tested them on their knowledge of the
teachings of Confucius. These exams
allowed only the smartest and hardest
working people to become government
workers making for a strong
government.