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Daoism, And Legalism: The Three Philosophies Of Ancient China

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In ancient China, three philosophies were formed that would influence China for many years to come. These three philosophies were Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. Each had their own unique ways of thinking about the world around them. Confucianism was founded by a man named Confucius in 5th or 6th century B.C.E. and started the ruling ideology in China. This meant that instead of serving a god or spirit, Confucius thought that people should be serving others. He believed that people could work together and that all would thrive. Confucius thought that everyone had their own role in life depending on their Dao, or “the way”. Confucianism has two main elements to it’s philosophy: duty and humanity. The first part, duty, was the responsibility of all individuals to put their own internets and dream below the needs of their families and community. This meant that one was supposed to give up their aspirations in life in order to provide for their family. The main idea behind this element to Confucius’s philosophy was that if everyone worked hard in fulfilling their role in life, society would flourish. The second part, humanity, focuses …show more content…

One of these strengths was how focused Confucianism was on education. This lead to the society of pre-modern China to have a higher level of intelligence. Another strength was how Confucianism effected the family life. Since one of the main elements of Confucianism is duty, many people focused on the wellbeing of their family. Therefore, family life improved greatly. However, this could also be seen as a weakness. Since Confucianism called for people to focus on their family and society instead of their own desires, this lead to people to change their thoughts of the ideal happy life. Another weakness was how Confucianism impacted the economy and government. The idea of Confucianism made it to where there was limited growth in the economy and it lead to a feudal society.(“The

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The main sources that the author relies on are the merchant manuals, for they were likeminded and resembled Confucius philosophy. The author uses these manuals, which “were imbued to some extent with the desire to teach Confucian morality,” to support his main argument. The foremost purpose of these merchant manuals in late imperial China was “to help people achieve success and attain wealth through commerce.”

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Confucianism also introduced a new way of organizing society. Instead of one having to live a life based on the bloodline, They were now able to create a life based on their ability and knowledge. Normally, In other dynasties, a civil servant was guaranteed the job of a government official because of their bloodline, but Confucius begged to differ. Confucius decreased the value of bloodline and increased the purpose of one's knowledge and ability.

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Confucius believed that there is an order in the universe. The key idea of Confucianism is that it is political and ethical and not spiritual at all and the idea of filial piety, or idea that everyone has a specific place or job in a community or family. As in document 1, Confucius wrote “ Filial piety and brotherly respect are the root of

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People would follow Confucian ideologies/teachings because they thought this ideology would be better for Chinese society, since Buddhism was not mentioned in Confucian texts. As Confucius’ followers would challenge Buddhist ideologies, people believed Confucianism was better because its main focus was how people in China should rule themselves. People would angrily challenge Buddhism because for them the rightful lifestyle were the teachings of Confucius, as these promoted traditional Chinese values. (Document 4) Leaders of Confucianist ideologies in the Tang imperial court in the year 819 CE would challenge Buddhist ideals. The imperial court would present Buddhists as “Barbarians” and how Confucianist ideals was the only way society could work.

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The authors purpose is to show that Confucius is the a real teaching in China while Buddhism was not and just an idea. Finally, many people did not believe that Buddha had any affiliation with China and the dynasties. Buddha did not speak Chinese nor wear Chinese cultural clothes and he came from India which leads many scholars to believe he did not have an effect. For example, “...to say that Buddha is no more than a cult… did not exist here in ancient time.(Document 4)” The point of view of the author is against Buddhism and does not believe that Buddhism had any correlation with China.

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Confucianism enforced harmony, between people while legalism enforced strict following of rules. For confucianism was built on the belief that harmony results when people in society accepted their place in their lives. However, Legalism was built on the fact that all humans are more inclined to do the wrong thing instead of the right thing due to the motivation of self-interest. Confucianism is described through the five key relationships: father to son, elder brother to younger brother, husband to wife, elder friend to younger friend, and ruler to subject. But legalism was described

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Confucianism in Chinese Society Henrietta Harrison’s book narrates the life of Liu Dapeng, who was a Confucian intellectual and educator in the village of Chiqiao, Shianxi Province in China. Liu, who lived a life of paucity, was an unknown prolific writer who never wrote a word. In the story, a man falls asleep and has a dream that he is a butterfly. Upon waking up, he is not sure whether the dream was reality or just a dream. Liu’s life is so similar to this dream.

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Many of his teachings implemented filial piety, or in a broader sense, the relationships between man and society. Confucius often examines the duty of one man being ruled by a government. Yet, he focuses on a balance between individuals and government, suggesting that they maintain a symbiotic relationship. Confucius explores the role one plays in society, and vice versa.

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Compare and contrast the roles of Confucianism and Buddhism in both China and Korea until roughly the 7th century Introduction East Asia is the largest emerging economy of the world at present, and this phenomenon can be traced back to its cultural, demographic, political and social traditions and identities. Yang and Tamney (2011) said religion was an integral part of cultural which played an extremely great role in enriching people’s spiritual life, guiding people to do good (p.132), and strengthening the state authority and legitimating their rule by instilling people with the politics-oriented beliefs from the perspective of the ruling class. Confucianism and Buddhism played a dominant role in the feudal society in both China and Korea and they exerted far-reaching impacts on both countries until today. As religion, both Confucianism and Buddhism served similar purposes in maintaining the social orderliness and stability, despite the differences between them in the religions beliefs and their impacts. In this paper, the roles of two mainstream religions, Confucianism (including Neo-Confucianism) and Buddhism in China and Korea until roughly the 7th century are compared and contrasted in various aspects.

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Confucianism is the philosophy most likely to create a peaceful and stable country. One key concept of Confucianism is that people were taught to set good examples for people who were younger or a lower rank than them. This shows that Confucianism would create a stable and peaceful country because setting good examples teaches people to behave in a proper manner, which would keep the country peaceful since people will not be fighting each other. Another piece of evidence is that civil servants were chosen based on their wisdom and skill, instead of their social status.

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Although both Confucius and Mencius have a lot in common with regards to governance, the two do have varying opinions on certain matters such as the legitimacy when rulers are overthrown, and the relationship between the ruler and his people. In precedence to coming up with policies and administrative measures, one has to first consider the issue of human nature as it plays an essential role in the development of a state 's political system. In the Confucian philosophy, the belief is that goodness is innate in humans and that everyone shares this same trait [子曰：“性相近也，习相远也。”] (Analects, 17.2). Mencius further elaborated on this doctrine by stating that it is mankind’s natural tendency to be kind to others, just as water would naturally flow downwards (Mencius, 6A2).

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Their fundamental was ethical, and political in character. They did not address religious questions or philosophical, but instead they focus more on proper ordering of human relationships. It’s defiantly different from the Buddha and the Hindus teachings. The Confucius underlines personal qualities such as ren, which meant an attitude of benevolence, sense of humanity, and kindness. The second most important value was li, which meant for every discrete to behave appropriately.

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However, many of their core values are the same. The traditional values that influence the Chinese people are benevolence, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness (Lihua, 2013). The beliefs and behaviors of the Chinese are a result of a culture that is derived from Confucianism. During the Communist rule Confucianism was broken down and substituted with values that were consistent with social responsibility. Following the People’s Revolution many of the Confucian values were brought back and still stand today.

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Confucianism thought that a ruler should be like a father by setting good examples for the people of China. He also thought that a ruler should be honest, good, and wise in order for the people to follow him. “But he said the best way to rule was through an honorable government and right relationships”

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Religion in Classical China Since human’s earliest years, we have relied on religion to guide us in countless situations; it influences almost everything we do. During the Classical Period in China, religion played large roles in many significant decisions. The three most prominently displayed religions at the time were Legalism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Though their unique teachings separated them from each other, each had equal impacts in the shaping of early Chinese civilization and culture.

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