Legalist Qin Dynasty

Confucianism was founded by Confucius in 551-479 Bce. Confucius believed that everyone should live by the Five Constant Relationships: parent and child, husband and wife, ruler and subject, older sibling and younger sibling, older friend and younger friend. Each person

In order to see how the principles and teachings of Confucius influenced the Han Dynasty, we must first look at the history of Confucius. "Kong Fuzi, known in Latin as Confucius, a philosopher and political adviser from the small state of Lu in modern Shandong, sought to reform China by redefining Chinese political and ethical thought" (Spodek 208-209). Confucius dedicated his life to education and philosophy, as he mastered the six Chinese arts: archery, ritual, calligraphy, music, chariot driving, and arithmetic. He went on to be a teacher, government advisor, and author several historical works. Confucius focused on the importance of self-discipline and earning rather than power based on birthright. His teachings eventually grew to impact the region, although most of this transformation took place after his death.

The idea of ruling a powerful government based on the principle of using two conflicting ideologies at the same time appeared foreign to most dynasties of early China. In early Chinese times, after the Period of the Warring States, two ideologies emerged: Legalism and Confucianism. Legalism stressed a strong central government that expressed harsh laws while Confucianism had a decentralized government, placing trust in conscientious and learned individuals to work together to solve political issues. These two schools of thought were in stark contrast to each other and, up until the Han dynasty, had never been combined with each other through government policy. The Qin dynasty, for example implemented a strict Legalist government while the

Despite being the shortest ruling dynasty at fifteen years, the Qin dynasty served a vital role in the development of China’s civilization (51). The Qin dynasty was prefaced by a period of instability caused by an ineffective political system and war between several regions all vying to overtake the others. After the Qin kingdom rose as the victor, King Cheng established for himself the title of Shi huangdi, or emperor, and looked to create a political system that would prevent the empire from fragmenting again. To achieve such a centralized government, Shi Huangdi sacrificed his people’s intellectual freedom and lives and produced a connected and standardized China, whose efficiency and strength still impacts the vision

Additionally, literature was discouraged under Legalism because they were believed as poisons to the mind. The Legalists believed this way because not all the information in books contains the truth. Agriculture and war were promoted on the other hand, because it would carve a rich and powerful empire (Walker 39). Many argue that the harshness of Legalism caused the downfall of the Qin Dynasty. However, it was one of the main reasons by the Qin Dynasty stood as the strongest among the Chinese states and possibly in the world. The reason why is because harsh punishments encouraged good conduct and discipline. When this is brought upon, there will be more room to contribute to society and there will be fewer worries about crimes being committed. In addition, the conduct and discipline was a plus for the military. By doing what they are told, the military can execute their job perfectly. All in all, Legalism flourished the Qin Dynasty; it did not cause it to go downhill.

Daoism is a daily guide to living so a person can experience the most of their own self. Daoism teaches the follower to look inside and to gain knowledge through self-exploration and to connect with our inner nature. The yin and yang shows the complementary sides of objects and nature, even the human body. The Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego states, “All is Tao. All opposites are in actuality part of one whole, giving rise to one another. Neither is

3) Document 3: The state of Qin's rulers believes in a political philosophy called the Legalism that justifies the strict central control and the use of the people to promote Qin, so they focused on huge construction projects and conquest. The Qin court succeeded in uniting the empire and maintaining control for 15 years. They have standardized the writing system, money, measurements, and built a lot of infrastructures. Their large-scale construction projects helped to flourish later.

The Qin Dynasty, being the first of its kind, paved the way for a huge empire than would control most of Asia. It introduced a lot that would increase conditions for the people, such as a standard script, coinage, as well as establishing one of the most important trade roots in history; the Silk Road. But it also left a legacy behind, a legacy that is still revealing truths and information about how the people of this time actually lived.

Traditions & Encounters: Chapter 8, page 185: “Confucius emphasized personal qualities like ren, li, and xiao because he believed that individuals who possessed those traits would gain influence in the larger society...only through enlightened leadership by morally strong individuals was there any hope for the restoration of political and social order in China” This quote demonstrates the main three principles that Confucianism was based upon are what Confucius believed would better society. These principles would create a stronger government, leading to better policies, and a stronger sense of unity in the people.

The basic Confucian ideas are ren: humaneness; li: etiquette; xiao: filial piety; and de: virtue. Another

Before parallels can be drawn between ideals and paths in Daoism, Daoist philosophy and Dao must be defined. It is hard to put Daoist Philosophy into a nice, neat sentence because of the complexity and vast amount of information on the subject. For the intent of this paper, Daoist philosophy is defined as a Chinese philosophy that takes a more naturalist approach to religion and way of living. It is the connection between imitating nature and harmony. Dao is defined in Chapter 1 as the constant moving “everything” that surrounds us. It is not tangible, it is just what it is, and you do not know exactly what this something is.

The unification of China was under the dynasties Qin and Han. There were formed schools of thought called Confucians, Daoists, and Legalists. These school of thoughts worked to bring political and social stability to China during the rule of the late Zhou dynasty which were chaotic years. Legalist principles and imposed centralized imperial rule were adopted by rulers of the Qin and Han dynasties. Political stability was the foundation of economic prosperity for the Han dynasty. There was a search of political and social order, unification of China, and a transition from economic prosperity to social disorder.

Before the Qin Dynasty, China was composed of a network of city states that were loyal to the Chinese king. The seven Warring States had their own institutions that were run by aristocrats. The Qin Dynasty took initiative to expand their territory and to unite the Chinese empire together. Through their ruthless military techniques the Qin Dynasty was able to conquer the city states in China. The Qin Dynasty ruled from 221 BCE – 206 BCE; during their regime, Emperor Qin’s primary goal was to unify the Chinese people. Even though the Qin Dynasty was a short-lived empire, it played a major role in unifying the Chinese empire and provided a foundation for succeeding regimes through a centralized government, standardized systems, and through infrastructure.

Confucianism is regarded as one of the primary religions that have profoundly influenced Chinese beliefs and ideologies. While Kongzi, or Confucius, is the founder of Confucianism, he is not the only philosopher who has contributed to such a significant impact on China. Similarly, the Analects of Confucius is not the single text that represents Confucianism. In fact, during different time periods throughout the history, there are a number of eminent representatives of Confucian thoughts, such as Mengzi and Xunzi. Because Confucianism aims at eliminating chaos and maintaining order in a harmonious society , they all agree that the guidance and education of virtuous Confucian pioneers are of extreme importance to achieve this

Mai Mai Sze presents a logical methodology breaking down the often-misunderstood complexity of Daoism. Sze describes tao “in the simplest sense…path” (The Way of Chinese Painting, 17). Continued, “Step-by-step progress requires care and deliberation and, by extension, careful and deliberate conduct or behavior from an inner motivation.” This journey was not something one could accomplish overnight; instead it is understood as a way of living out ones life to the fullest. This journey was not only into one’s own mind, but also into what surrounds them. Including tools, control of the medium was a necessity, just as restrain over the sensitivity of the brush was needed when writing Chinese characters. A minor error in a character could change the entire meaning of the symbol. Symbols are often associated with Chinese culture. From the calendar year to writing, Chinese symbolism is utilized significantly. One symbol often recognized by the Western world is the Yin Yang; however the meaning is often misunderstood. The theory of the Yin Yang is presented as a balance between Male Principle (sun, right) and Female Principle (moon, left). As the two converge inward, they also radiate outward reflecting the ideology of Tao itself. This development of proportion and attention to fine detail required