The different schools of thoughts have seen to prosper during the Warring State Period. The Warring State period witnessed intensive warfare. Some of the ambitious king fought with the aim of gaining more territory and power, while some were fighting to survive and retain their power. Consequently, many states were not only competing with their military power but also with the philosophy they adapted in court and the state. Some of the notable schools of thought included Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism and Mohism. However, in this paper, I will be highlighting on Confucianism and Legalism as these two philosophies differ vastly in their perception on whether human nature is kind or evil. Confucius original name is Kong Qiu and is also known by his honorific name Kong Fu Zi. He lived during the end of Spring and Autumn Period (770BC – 476 BC) and beginning of the Warring State Period (471BC - 221BC). Confucius was one of the few men who have deeply influenced human history by the force of their personal and intellectual gifts and achievements . He believed strongly in filial piety, loyalty and benevolence. His belief and philosophy is known as ‘Confucianism’ but it has always been disputable whether or not is it an established religion. However, his set of tradition that began in China …show more content…
The fatal weakness of the Legalists lay in their blind worship of severe punishments and strict laws and disregard of the benefits of moral education and benevolence government. Qin Shi Huang was known to be a paranoid ruler such that he got rid of anybody who showed opposition or didn’t agree with him. Once, scholars were talking behind his back and being a paranoid person, he didn’t like that and arrested over 400 scholars and buried them. His ruthless act did not gain him much support from the people and soon he lost the Mandate of Heaven when Qin dynasty collapsed in