Chinese Philosophies Daoism Confucianism Legalism

Chinese Philosophies

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Daoism Confucianism Legalism • Not an exclusive faith • Confucius believed that the source of good government was • Legalists did not concern • Influenced Chinese political & in the maintenance of tradition by personal standards of themselves with ethics, cultural traditions virtue morality, or propriety • Central concept is dao meaning • Respect for patriarchal family (filial piety) • Expected to harness “The Way” (the way of nature) • Veneration of one’s ancestors subjects’ energy by means • Founder was Laozi • Government stability depended on well‐educated officials of clear and strict laws. • “Dao does nothing, but • Encouraged his followers to study classic texts from the Zhou • Solution to the Warring accomplishes everything.” and the Chinese mythology surrounding the Heavenly States period • Adapted traditional Chinese Emperors • Discouraged from concepts of balance in nature – yin • The Analects – compilation of Confucius beliefs which served pursuing many careers (male, assertiveness) and yang to educate Chinese government officials (civil service exam) • Cared nothing about the (female, submissive) • Confucius thought was fundamentally moral, ethical & principles governing the • Taught that political involvement political in character world or the place of and education were unnecessary • View of life was entirely practical –did not deal with religion human beings in nature • The natural balance of the universe or abstract philosophy • Deserved harsh would solve most problems • Belief in ren (courtesy), li (propriety), and xiao (filial piety) punishment although • Ambition and activism only bring • Founder was Kung Fuzi crime was small chaos • Formation of junzi “superior individuals” • Brought unification to • Wuwei –disengagement from • 1st Chinese thinker that addressed social & political problems China worldly affairs; a simple life in • Support of the Han Dynasty –order and submission to the • Supported by the Qin harmony with nature government dynasty • Later disciples included Mencius (focus on ren) and Xunxi • Generally blended with (focus on li) Confucianism to reflect a concern for community responsibility and • Generally blended with Daoism to reflect a concern for time for personal reflection. community responsibility and time for personal reflection. • Profoundly influenced Japanese and Korean culture in later years Comparison / Contrasts

From The Princeton Review “Cracking the AP World History Exam”

Daoism and Confucianism Legalism and Confucianism

Though Daoism and Confucianism shared a core belief in the Although both Legalism and Confucianism are social belief Dao, or “the Way,” they diverged in how each understood how systems, not religions, and both are intended to lead to an the Dao manifested itself in the world. While Confucianism is orderly society, their approaches are directly opposed. concerned with creating an orderly society, Daoism is Confucianism relies on the fundamental goodness of human concerned with helping people live in harmony with nature beings, whereas Legalism presupposes that people are and find internal peace. Confucianism encourages active fundamentally evil. Therefore, Confucianism casts everything relationships and a very active government as a fundamentally in terms of corresponding responsibilities, whereas Legalism good force in the world; Daoism encourages a simple, passive casts everything in terms of strict laws and harsh punishment. existence, and little government interference with this pursuit. The Han successfully blended the best of both philosophies to Despite these differences, many Chinese found them organize their dynasty. compatible, hence practiced both simultaneously. They used Confucianism to guide them in their relationships and Daoism to guide them in their private meditations.