necessary to pass a difficult civil service exam based on the ideas of Confucius. Since it was Confucianism that kept the leaders
in power, they were opposed to any changes. The Confucianists believed that they were the only civilized people in the world.
and they looked odwn on the beliefs and cultures of other people. This attitude made the Chinese unwilling to change their
way of life when they were first exposed to Western culture.
Confucius himself was not very interested in the ideas of a god, an afterlife, heaven and other ideas that we associated with
religion. However, when Confucianism became the official philosophy of China, religious functions were incorporated into it.
Confucius, together with his ancestors and famous followers became objects of worship. Confucian temples were built all over
China and sacrifices and rituals were performed.
Questions:
1) What qre the main beliefs of Confucianism?
2) How does Confucianism differ from a traditional religion?
3) How did Confucianism stay such a strong force on China for so long?
4) As you see it, what is one positive and one negative about this philosophy? Explain your point of view in two sentence
for each.
Taoism (Daoism)
According to tradition, the great sage, or wise man, of Daoism was Laozi (Lao-Tzu). Daoism was based on the ancient Chinese
idea of the Dao, or the "way". Dao was the force that gave order to the natural universe. Daoism taught that people gained
happiness and peace by living in harmony and agreement with the way of nature.
To the Daoist's, nature is full of opposites like life and death or light and darkness. True harmony comes from balancing the
opposite forces of nature, called yin and yang. In the same way, human life is made up of opposites.
The Daoist's taught that people followed the way of nature by living simple lives of quiet meditation. Notice, they said, how
nothing in nature strives for fame, power or knowledge. Similarly, people should avoid feeling self-important or striving for
possessions or honors. Instead, they should accept whatever comes like a blade of grass that bends when the breeze blows.
The Daoist's believed that everyone must discover the Dao for themselves. Too many laws and social rules only got in the way
of living naturally and following the Dao. Therefore, the best rulers were those who ruled the least. Their book is called the "I
Ching".
Daoism encouraged rulers to rule less harshly. But Daoism's more important influence was on Chinese thought, writing and
art. In time, Daoism developed into a popular belief system
Legalism
Legalism, a philosophy created by Hanfeizi, was the belief that people were bad by nature and needed to bel controlled.
Unlike the other two philosophies, Legalism was only a political philosophy. It dealt with government and social control.
Followers of Legalism disagreed with the moral preaching of Confucius. Legalists also rejected Daoism because it didn't stress
respect for authority.
Legalists felt that society needed strict laws to keep people in line and that punishments should fit crimes. For example, they
believed that citizens should be held responsible for each other's behavior. A guilty person's relatives and neighbors should
also be punished. This way, everyone would obey the laws. They also believed that people who worked civil service jobs
should be watched very carefully and punished for doing a poor job. People caught criticizing the government should be
banished to China's far northern frontier.
Unity and efficiency were also important for Legalists. They wanted appointed officials, not nobles to run China. Legalists
wanted the empire to continue to expand. Therefore, they urged the state to always be prepared for war.
The Influence of Legalism
Legalist philosophy had an almost immediate influence on government in China. The Qin dynasty seized control of China and
read and admired Hanfeizi's ideas. They wanted to build a strong central government and well-organized society. TO achieve
these goals, many people were put to death for disloyalty and other crimes.