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An Empire Unifies China
Chapter 4 Section 4
Philosophy and the Social
Order
After the fall of the Zhou dynasty, China became a
land of troubles. Ancient Chinese values were
forgotten.
Civilization seemed doomed. Yet some thinkers tried to
find ways to restore these values.
One of the most
important
Chinese thinkers
was Confucius
(551-479 B.C.E) .
• the symbol for
Confucionism
The Story of Confucius
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl09fdq8c
Sc
Confucian Ideas:
• Rather than leading for power, control, money, or
ego, the princes of China must understand their
higher purpose, which was to do “right” and lead by
selfless example. This concept of goodness is jen.
• You should exert
yourself to the best
of your abilities
(chung) to
accomplish what you
owe to others—this
doesn't mean that
you'll succeed: it is
sufficient to have
the right intent and
make the right
effort in order to
have the quality of
jen
From: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/JEN.HTM
Jen and Chung
Confucius
believed that
these values
could help order
return to China.
But first, the people would need to apply Jen and Chung five
basic relationships. These were the ruler and subject, father
and son, husband and wife, older and younger brothers, and
friend and friend.
The family relationships, Confucius thought were the
most important.
Confucius stressed that
children practice filial
piety. This is respect for
parents and elders.
Confucius also said
government could be
structured better. He
believed in the concept of
a bureaucracy. This is a
system of departments
and agencies for running
the government.
• Confucius’ students
recorded the
teachings of
Confucius wrote
them down in
theAnalects.
Another important Chinese thinker of this period was Laozi. (Lao Tzu)
(570-490 BC).
• Lao Tzu was born at the city of Luoyang
• He was appointed Keeper of the Imperial Archives by the King of Zhou
in Luoyang. He studied the archive's books avidly and his insight grew.
From: http://www.thetao.info/tao/laotzu.htm
•
Taoism is based on the idea that behind all material things and all the change in
the world lies one fundamental, universal principle: the Way or Tao.
• This principle gives rise to all existence and governs everything, all
change and all life. Behind the bewildering multiplicity and
contradictions of the world lies a single unity, the Tao.
• The purpose of human
life, then, is to live life
according to the Tao,
which requires
passivity, calm, nonstriving (wu wei ),
humility, and lack of
planning, for to plan is
to go against the Tao.
• But Lao Tzu was, like
Confucius, also
concerned with the
nature of government;
he believed
unquestioningly in the
idea that a government
could also exist in
accordance with the
Tao.
• What would such a
government look like? It
would not wage war, it
would not be complex, it
would not interfere in
people's lives, it would not
wallow in luxury and wealth,
and, ideally, it would be
inactive, serving mainly as a
guide rather than as a
governor.
He said nature follows a universal force called the
Dao, or “the Way”. Lao Tzu’s beliefs are called
Daoism (or Taoism).
• Hearing of Lao Tzu's wisdom, Confucius traveled to meet
him. Confucius asked Lao Tzu about performing rites and
rituals.
From: http://www.thetao.info/tao/laotzu.htm
From: http://www.thetao.info/tao/laotzu.htm
• Lao Tzu perceived that the kingdom's affairs were
disintegrating , so it was time to leave. He was
traveling West on a buffalo when he came to the
Han Gu Pass, which was guarded.
From: http://www.thetao.info/tao/laotzu.htm
The keeper of the pass realized
Lao Tzu was leaving permanently, so
he requested that Lao Tzu write out
some of his wisdom so that it could
be preserved once he was gone. Lao
Tzu agreed to the request and
wrote the Dao De Ching. This book
was an expression of his beliefs and
principles.
Another philosopher named Han Feizi formed a set of beliefs
called Legalism.
• He believed that a highly efficient and powerful government was the
key to restoring order. In legalism, the government should use the law
to end civil disorder and restore harmony.
• Legalists taught that a ruler should provide rich rewards for
people who carried out their duties well.
• Likewise, the disobedient should be harshly punished. In Practice, the Legalists
stressed punishment more than reward. For example, anyone caught outside his
own village without travel permits should have his ears or nose chopped off,
legalists said.
• The Legalists believed in controlling ideas as well as actions. They
suggested that a ruler burn all writings that might encourage people
to think critically about the leadership
The Qin Dynasty
A 13 year old ruler
became ruler of the
Qin Dynasty.
He ended the
troubles of the
warring states.
This young ruler used the
ideas of Legalism to unite
China. After ruling for 20
years, he took a new name
– Shi Huangdi. This means
“First Emperor.”
• Shi Huangdi doubled the size of China.
He established an autocracy. In this kind of government, a
ruler has unlimited power.
Shi Huangdi forced the wealthy nobles to give up
there land in the country and move to his capital
city. He destroyed his enemies.
• The emperor wanted to control ideas too. He ordered
his government to burn books.
Shi Huangdi also had peasants build a network of
roads that linked one corner of the empire to
another.
He set standards for writing, law, money, and
weights and measures to be followed throughout
the empire.
• In the past, some
Chinese rulers
had built sections
of wall to try to
block out attacks
from northern
nomads.
• Shi Huangdi had
hundreds of
thousands of poor
people connect
these sections of
wall and make a
huge barrier.
When finished, the Great Wall of China stretched
1,400 miles.
These steps won the emperor little support. To
protect him in his next life, Shi Huangdi had a
massive clay army built.
His son took the throne. Just three years into his reign,
peasants revolted and managed to overthrow the emperor. By
202 B.C., the Qin dynasty had given way to the Han dynasty.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsUEZtcUFg