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Ancient China
Geography: SW Himalaya Mountains
leads to isolation
NW Gobi Desert
Yellow River
Yang Tze River
Ancient China Belief Systems:
first civilization
Ancestor Worship
Oracle Bones
China was made up of many different smaller civilizations.
 It was very diverse in culture.
 Which led to fighting
 The Warring Period
o From 480-221 BCE
Chinese Philosophies
1. Confucianism
Founder: Confucius (551 BCE)
~Scholar who wanted to restore order to China
Sacred Text: Analects
Main Beliefs:
1. No afterlife, more concerned with what on earth.
2. Values social order, respect for authority and harmony.
3. Society should be organized into:
a. Five Basic Relationships
1. Ruler to Subject
Must be
2. Father to Son
Must be
Role Models
3. Older brother to Younger Brother
Obedient!
and Set
4. Husband to Wife
good
examples!
5. Friend to Friend
b. education
1. Civil Service Exam
4. Humans are good by nature
a. rulers should be good men who rule by example
2. Daoism (aka Taoism)
Founder: Lao Tzu (same time as Confucius)
Sacred Text: Tao Te Ching or The Way of the
Dao
Main Beliefs:
1. Follow Dao, "The Way"
2. Don't interfere with natural forces or nature's will
a. accept the Way life is (go with the flow)
b. respect and love nature
3. Order and harmony
a. Yin/Yang represents the natural balance of life
b. There is good and bad in everything
4. Opposes any conflict and most government
a. only fools think they can rule everything
b. without gov'ts there will be no wars
5. Humans fail to gain the Dao by debating good v. bad.
Real knowledge comes from being in harmony with nature.
6. Equality & limiting material possessions
3. Legalism
Founder: Han Feizi (aprox. 300 BCE)
Main Beliefs:
1. Harsh rule with strict punishments
2. Total control over ideas/actions of people
(book burnings, neighborhood spies, etc.)
3. Against education
4. Rewards for those who do their jobs well