Ancient Chinese Philosophies: Confucianism, And Daoism

During the Warring Sates Period there were three main philosophies in china, that influenced their actions and way of thinking. The three perspectives were Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism. For each there was a social thoughts, political thoughts, ethical teachings, and a way of public life. These three philosophies where created because of the political fragmentation. (McKay,Pg.70)

(1046-256 Bce), they continued to thrive in spite of fighting between them. Various Chinese philosophers offered different solutions as to how to restore social and political order out of the chaos of the times. Those ideas were Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism each have a different vision of the ideal ruler. Each school of philosophy was unique and was able to flourish in their own way.

During the fall of the Zhou Dynasty, violence and chaos were soaring in China. In an attempt to achieve justice, various philosophers offered solutions in order to restore social and political order. From these efforts, three significant ethical systems were founded. These three major schools of philosophy, Legalism, Confucianism, and Daoism, are creations of unique views that portray their ideas of adequate societies as well as their perspectives on how one should govern.

Various religions and philosophies were popular and influential in different times in China’s history. During the time of the Qin Dynasty, the first of the two main dynasties in Classical China, a philosophy known as Legalism was very popular. Legalism emphasized the importance of government and laws over anything else for obtaining order and success. This helped strengthen the Qin’s central government and create a degree of equality due to the fairness created by the laws. While Legalism was the most popular philosophy during the Qin Dynasty, other belief systems, such as the philosophy of Confucianism, existed in China. In the Han Dynasty, the second of the two main dynasties in Classical China, Confucianism was the major belief system from which much of life was based on (Wu, Han Dynasty Social Structure). The major

In ancient China, many different rulers tried to unify and rule the country using a variety of methods – Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism to name a few. Each philosophy had its own set of rules of how people should act both in public and privately. The overall goal of each philosophy was to set a standard of acceptable living that would ensure harmony and success for the society. However, each was different and thus had different results.

Confucianism in China had been a way of life, a state ideology as well as a combined philosophical, religious, and social system. Fundamentally, Confucianism focused on

Confucianism is a belief system of thoughts taught by Confucius in China during the 5th and 6th century BCE during the Zhou dynasty. During this time, China was dealing with serious political conflicts, moral chaos, and intellectual conflict and order were almost non-existent. During this political struggle, Confucius believed that going back to the “traditional ways” was the only path for society to get back on track and developed his thought into what is known as Confucianism. It has existed for over two millennia and has changed over time. Some people refer to Confucianism as philosophy while others view it as a religion. Confucianism is a belief system which can be incorporated into other religious beliefs and forms of religion. This belief system has heavily influenced politics and life in China and neighboring places.

Confucianism is an ethical philosophy with many statements concerning topics such as social obligations, politics, and religion. Founded by Confucius, a philosopher from “the state of Lu, in the modern province of Shandong,” this system of beliefs seeks wisdom above all other facets of life and regards knowledge as man’s greatest treasure. Confucianism also highly stressed the importance of putting others above oneself, thinking holistically rather than individually. Studying the Analects, Confucius’s philosophical text, gives students a superior understanding of the Chinese lifestyle during the Han dynasty because these beliefs reflect the progression of philosophy during this era.

The Zhou dynasty lasted from about 1045 to 256 B.C.E. They claimed to be given the mandate of heaven to justify overthrowing the Shang. Under the Zhou many different kinds of ruling took place. During feudalism the king gave his most trust worthy subjects called lords chunk of land to rule over. Feudalism worked for China until somewhere in the 700s B.C.E. When the power hungry lords stated to rival the king. Then the Chinese switched to confucianism. Confucius wanted men to work in fair and honest government. In Confucianism there were five basic relationships. The lower one must respect and obey the higher one. In exchange the higher one must always set a good example. Taoism's encouraged rulers to be strict but not harsh. Taoism's

This question could be problematic in the sense that the religions in China don’t have a specific God that they believe in nor do they not believe in God entirely. In classic Chinese the spirits and deities (Shen) were human but only became deities once they died and go into the existing hierarchy. (5-7, 8) While Confucianism is human based and early Daoism is based on “the entire cosmos and all its workings”; this helps draw the conclusion that “religion easily shades into the realms of medicine, astronomy, philosophy, government and more.” (7-3 & 5-1)

Their philosophy was derived from their religious beliefs. Their God was not a removed entity that controlled the world but did not have a role in the life of the individual. Their God was everything and without him, there was nothing. God was salvation and eternal life. Their main reference was the Bible. It was studied extensively by Catholic theologians and, from it, created a central ethical system was developed. The Chinese on the other hand had an ethical system based on the individual. Confucianism was not a religion. It was not based on a deity and strict codes of conduct found in Catholic tradition did not exist. However, an overall sense of order was decidedly central to its philosophy. Virtue here was found introspectively, through thought and study. Another interesting facet of Confucianism was it’s veneration of ancestors, an extension of honoring one’s parents.

China, like other ancient societies, believed in philosophies to guide proper behavior. The three most prominent are Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. Of the three Confucianism is used is most utilized in schools.

The second important lesson is The Analects of Confucius. According to Eno, “The Analects of Confucius is an anthology of brief passages that present the words of Confucius and his disciples, describe Confucius as a man, and recount some of the events of his life” (Robert Eno’s The Analects of Confucius i). Confucianism is a most important philosophy in Chinese literature that was developed by Confucius (551–479 BCE). There are many affects to every facet of life such as government, education, and personal behavior.

Three philosophies that are very interesting to read about are confucianism, legalism, and daoism. Confucianism was introduced by Confucius himself in 551- 479 BCE. Confucius was one of the most important Chinese thinkers in Chinese culture. Daoism was introduced in the 5th or 4th century BCE by Laozi. Dao de Jing is translated to “The Book of the Way of Virtue.” Legalism was introduced by Han Fazi, he wanted to strengthen the political power so he developed a philosophy for it.

Confucius taught many basic and important principles in the areas of social and political philosophy. His collected teachings where known as the “Analects”. The two general ideas of his teaching are called Jen and Li. Jen, stands for humane or humanity, which includes the idea of how man is different from other living things because of the sense of dignity and respect for others. Li, stands for the principle of gain and what people gain when they spent time and interact with one another. Other ideologies from Confucius are the ability to know right from wrong, the importance in honoring your parents and family and the understanding of authority when it is used to improve situations.