World History / Unit 3: Classical India and China and the Spread of World Religions
3.4 Chinese Philosophies
Notes
During the Warring States period (475 to 221 BCE) of the late Zhou, thinkers asked how to restore order.
- Confucianism: Confucius (551 to 479 BCE) taught that order comes from proper relationships and moral behavior. The Five Relationships include ruler and subject, parent and child, and husband and wife; each has duties. Filial piety is respect for parents and ancestors. Rulers should lead by good example. His teachings are collected in the Analects.
- Daoism: linked to Laozi, it teaches living in harmony with the Dao ("the Way"), the natural order. It values simplicity and not forcing things. Its symbol is often yin and yang.
- Legalism: taught by Hanfeizi, it held that people are selfish and need strict laws and harsh punishments. The Qin dynasty used it.
| School | Key idea about order |
|---|---|
| Confucianism | Moral example and proper relationships |
| Daoism | Harmony with nature, minimal government |
| Legalism | Strict laws and punishments |
Practice
Read the excerpt from the Analects (James Legge translation, 1861): "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." This teaching is mainly about:
Confucius called this idea reciprocity.
A ruler believes people will behave only if they fear harsh punishment. Which philosophy does this ruler follow?
Legalists believed strict laws were the only way to keep order.
Filial piety, a key Confucian value, means:
Family duty was at the center of Confucian ethics.
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