Maintaining Order During The Warring States Period

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In history, many societies had to figure out how to maintain order during times of crisis. It is important to know what to do when in these situations. In Ancient China, people had to do the same. During the Warring States Period, many people debated how to maintain order within their society. The 3 main ways people tried to maintain order were with Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. Legalism was the best school of thought to establish and maintain order during the Warring States Period because it had strict rules and severe punishments, preventing chaos. Daoists were people in ancient China who believed that following the natural flow of the universe was the best method of maintaining order in society because they believed that violence …show more content…

Confucianism was an ancient Chinese school of thought that was based on the teachings of Confucius. In Confucianism, relationships are the foundation of a harmonious society. A main principle of Confucianism is that people are not born knowing how to think and act so they must be taught. Confucius emphasized the importance of names in society and how they should influence how you act; ¨What is needed are the correct names…if names are not correct, then language is not in accordance with the Way (Dao), and there can be no success…Let the ruler be ruler, the minister minister, the father father, and the son son¨(13.3, 5-6). Names represent your role and/or your rank in society. One should look up to someone above them and show a sign of respect. One should be a role model for those below them. If a father treats a son like a ruler, the son will think he is something he is not and get a high ego. But when the father looks down on them and punishes them it will keep them in their place. Confucianism maintained order with Ren, Li, and Filial Piety. Ren is being kind, Li is proper action, and filial piety is respecting your elders. All of these are based on having morals and being a good person, and if everyone is a good person there is order. The problem with Confucianism is that not everybody will dedicate themselves to it. Someone could simply ignore the guidelines of Confucianism and order will not be