Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism in Ancient China

1. Empire of China9a World Studies Stankiewicz

2. Essential Questions • What were the teachings of Confucius • How did Confucian Ideas help shape Chinese Life? • How did Legalist and Daoist views differ? • Who was Shi Huangdi? • How did the Han dynastic rulers shape Chinese government?

3. Confucius • China’s most influential philosopher • Born to a noble but poor family • Became a teacher after failing in government work • Reputation for wisdom grew

4. Confucius • Never wrote down his philosophy • Very different from Buddha • Little interest in salvation • Interested in worldly goals

5. Confucius Teaching - 1 • Unlike Buddha, Confucius was not really interested in religious matters • Concerned more about worldly goals (life on earth) • Wanted social order • Good government • Make rules to live by on earth

6. Confucius Teachings - 2 • People are in harmony when they accept their place in society • Five Key relationships • Father to son • Elder brother to younger brother • Husband to wife • Ruler to subject • Friend to friend

7. Relationships - 1 • Other than Friend to Friend all relationships are unequal • Older people are superior to younger people • Men are superior to women • But mothers of sons need respect

8. Relationships - 2 • Superiors are to take care of inferiors • Inferiors should be loyal and obedient to superiors • Women’s duty is to ensure the stability of the family and promote harmony in the home • CORRECT BEHAVIOR BRINGS ORDER AND STABILITY

9. Relationships - 3 • Respect for parents is above all other duties • Even higher than duty to the state (government) • Other values • Golden rule

10. Confucius and Government • People are naturally good • Best ruler (government) is honest, upstanding, fair, educated • Education is key to advancement

11. Confucius’s Legacy • Confucianism never a religion • Chinese rulers, however, based their government on his teachings • Future rulers often chose Confucian scholars as leaders • Emphasis on Confucian relationships dominated Chinese society • Spread to 1/3 of world’s population

12. Legalism • The Philosophy promoted by Hanfeizi • Men are naturally “evil” • Goodness is acquired • Greed the motive for all actions • Disagreed with Confucius • Only way to achieve order id through strict rules enforced by harsh punishments • Strength, not goodness, was a ruler’s greatest virtue

13. Daoism • Differs from both Confucianism and Legalism • Daoists no interest in bringing order to society, but to live in harmony with nature

14. Daoism • Founded by Laozi • Wrote: “The Way of Virtue” • Enormous influence on Chinese life

15. Daoism • Focuses on Dao –”The Way” of the universe. • Reject conflict and emphasize “yielding” • Didn’t like government • “The best government is the one that governs least”

16. Daoism • Evolved into a religion • Gods and goddesses • Alchemy • Thought to have invented gunpowder to frighten ghosts

17. Daoism and Confucianism • Blended together • Confucianism taught how to behave • Daoism influence how people looked at the natural world

18. Shi Huangdi • First Emperor • Founder of Qin Dynasty • Followed Legalism (strict) • Authoritarian dictator • Did not tolerate any dissent • Built the Original Great Wall of China • When he died people revolted

19. Han Dynasty • Claimed had mandate from Heaven in 210 BC • Han dynasty lasted from 210 BC to 220 AD • Liu Bang 1st Han emperor

20. Liu Bang • Lowered taxes and eased harsh Legalistic policies • Appointed key Confucian scholars as advisors • Later emperors followed his examples • Set up universities • Followed Confucian principles

21. Most famous Han Emperor - Wudi • Expanded education • Warrior Emperor • Ceaseless campaigns to expand China’s borders • Invaded Manchuria, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet and Korea • Linked china with the middle east – “Silk Road”

22. Han Society • Confucian scholars-Officials • Civil Service examinations • Women subservient • Han Achievements • Han scientists wrote texts on biology, zoology, astronomy • Paper out of wood pulp • Herbal medicine

23. Collapse • Weak leaders let public projects down • Taxes raised • Warlords • Peasant revolts • Same story as any dynasty as we learned when we studied the dynastic cycle

24. Questions – There’s more slides

25. Spread of Civilizations in East Asia 9b World Studies Stankiewicz

26. Essential Questions • How did the Mongols create a world Empire? • What was the legacy of the Mongol conquest? • How did Ming ruler reassert Chinese greatness?

27. Mongol Expansion • Mongols originally nomadic people • Genghis Kahn became leader of Mongols (1100s AD) • Imposed strict discipline and absolute loyalty • Created a great cavalry of highly mobile soldiers • Probably the most skilled horsemen in the world

28. Mongol Expansion • Genghis Kahn had a reputation for fierceness • Ruthless • Attacked China • Trouble with walled cities • Developed siege warfare

29. Mongol Expansion • Genghis Kahn dies before completed conquest of known world but his empire stretched to include China and most of northern Asia

30. Mongol Conquests • Genghis Kahn’s grandson Kublai Khan overthrew the Song dynasty in 1279. Kubai founded the Yuan Dynasty • Ruled all of China, Korea, Tibet and Vietnam • Able and demanding ruler • Welcomed many foreigners including Marco Polo

31. Marco Polo • Visited Kublai Kahn and stayed with him for 17 years • Wrote a book describing his adventures • Not always believed, but book was a best seller

32. Marco Polo’s Routes

33. Effects of Mongol Expansion • Once conquering people the Mongols were not necessarily oppressive rulers • Usually let people live as they did as long as they paid tribute to Mongols • Usually ruled with justice and tolerance • Respected scholars

34. Effects of Mongol Expansion • In 1200s and 1300s Mongols established peace and order in Kingdom • Protected the “Silk Road” trade route from Europe to China • Got rid of civil service system

35. Demise of the Mongols • After Kublai Kahn died Yuan dynasty grew weak. • Most Chinese resented Mongol rule • Heavy taxes, corruption were common • 1368 Yuan Dynasty was replaced by the Ming Dynasty

36. Ming Dynasty • Restored civil service system • Reinforced Confucian learning • Established a system to halt corruption • Economic revival • Revival of Arts, Literature, exploration • Very popular with people because they reasserted China’s traditional values

37. Korea and Its Traditions • Essential Questions: • How did geography affect the Korean peninsula? • How did China effect Korean Culture? • How did Korea shape its own culture?

38. How did geography affect the Korean peninsula? • Its closeness to China allowed it to receive many cultural and technological advances from the Chinese • It served as a cultural bridge between China and Japan

39. How did China effect Korean Culture? • Korea often a tributary state of China • China saw Korea in Confucian terms • Older brother looking over younger brother • Koreans adopted Confucian emphasis on family as the basis of the state

40. How did Korea shape its own culture? • Had its own dynasties (three only) • Shilla 668-918; Koryo 918-1392; Choson 1392-1910 • Adapted its own form of civil service • Only aristocracy can be part of it, unlike China • Acknowledged Chinese overlordship but maintained nominal independence

41. Japan • What geographical features influenced the early development of Japan? • How did Chinese culture influence Japan?

42. What geographical features influenced the early development of Japan? • Islands • Most land too mountainous to farm • Most people settle on narrow river valleys and along coast • Isolated and protected from outside world • Thriving fishing • Tsunamis, Ring of Fire affected population’s psyche

43. Eastern Hemisphere