Confucianism vs Legalism - 2475 Words

Chen Hanyu A0110820B Tutorial D5 Question 1: Introduction For this paper, I will be discussing two opposing ideologies, Confucianism and Legalism. Towards the later part of ancient China (e.g Han dynasty), states started to adopt a mixture of Confucianism and Legalistic ideology. Why did Legalism and Confucianism fall off? In this paper I will explore and provide my own insights on the shortcomings of both ideologies; how Legalism was more persuasive in getting people to accept their ideas and more effective as an ideology and how Confucianism lost out in both aspects. Persuasiveness of Legalism The central idea of legalism was to provide absolute power to the person in charge and the supremacy of authority. Legalists like Han Fei Zi†¦show more content†¦Although it was well known that Confucius was elevated to high status after his death, his political career was not as successful. Confucius spent many years trying to promoting his ideas to rulers in different states but was not able to get through4. To understand why such a visionary philosopher could not get others to agree with him, we will have to look at the nature of the Confucian theory and why was it incapable of persuading the lords of countries. Firstly, Confucianism prized the rule of men over the rule of law; that is to promote harmony in the people over the interest of a ruler. If a ruler has appropriate personal conduct the government will be effective without needing to issue order. However, the ruler do not have the correct conducts, his orders will not be obeyed. Secondly, Confucius viewed rules and laws as harmful. He argued that people led by laws and punishments will try to avoid punishment but lose the sense of shame. If they are led by virtue and guided by propriety, they will preserve their sense of shame and become good citizens5. He saw a country as an extended family and a ruler should take care of his citizens like a father would take care of his children. The ruler as the â€Å"father† would need to set a proper example for the right ethics to flow down5. Thirdly, the Confucianism school did not value institutions in inducing desirableShow MoreRelatedThe Three Philosophies Of China1097 Words   |  5 PagesThe three Philosophies of China consist of Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism, but only one Philosophy surpasses all others, Confucianism. Legalism is one of the strictest ways of ruling. Han Fei Zi founded legalism; he believed that there was only one way to obtain order in a society; this was through learning from your mistakes. Although the punishments were cruel and caused many to suffer, it also provided obedience from citizens. (Johnson) Legalism was based off of three strict guidelines: FaRead MoreHow Nurturing Shapes The Hero1873 Words   |  8 Pagesthinkers throughout human history. â€Å"And human nature too is like the water: it doesn’t chose between good and evil any more than water chooses between east and west.† (Austin 79) In fact, it can be argued that what constitutes an immutable form of good vs. evil has been at the source of debates in both religious morality and a broader philosophical understanding of what these forms represent. Furthermore, morality has been fluid over time, changing to reflect the cultural mores of society; given enoughRead MoreCatal Hyuk2725 Words   |  11 Pag esMacedonia Free vs. Unfree Labor Magi Seleucids Satrapies Royal Road â€Å"Eyes and ears of the king† Xerxes Bureaucrats Zoroastrianism MAPS: Persepolis Anatolia Afghanistan Macedonia Thrace Royal Road Bactria Iran Indus River CHAPTER 8: The Unification of China IDENTITIES: Eunuchs Castration Sian Qian Period of the Warring States Kong Fuzi Analects Ren, li, xiao Laozi Dao, Daoism Legalism Qin Shi Huangdi