Transcript Part 3: China Theme: The costs of maintaining order

Part 3: China
Theme: The costs of maintaining order
Lesson 16
ID & SIG
• Confucianism, Daoism, dynasty, Han Feizi,
junzi, legalism, mandate of heaven, Period of
the Warring States
Where we left off in Lesson 4
• Dynasty
– “A sequence of
powerful leaders
in the same
family”
• Shang
Dynasty 1766
to 1122 B.C.
• Zhou Dynasty
1122 to 256
B.C.
Characteristics of a Civilization
• Intensive agricultural techniques
• Specialization of labor
• Cities
• A social hierarchy
• Organized religion and education
• Development of complex forms of economic
exchange
• Development of new technologies
• Advanced development of the arts. (This can include
writing.)
Social Hierarchy: Mandate of Heaven
• Zhou justified their disposition of the Shang by
the mandate of heaven
– Earthly events were closely related to heavenly
affairs
– Heavenly powers granted the right to govern to an
especially deserving individual known as the son
of heaven
– Ruler served as a link between heaven and earth
Social Hierarchy: Mandate of Heaven
• The ruler had the duty to govern conscientiously,
observe high standards of honor and justice, and
maintain order and harmony within his realm
– As long as he did, the heavenly powers would approve his
work, all would be in balance, and the ruler would retain
his mandate to govern
– If the ruler failed his duties, balance would be disrupted,
chaos would follow, and the displeased heavenly powers
would withdraw the mandate and transfer it to a more
deserving candidate
• This principle was maintained by Chinese rulers until
the 20th Century
Decline of the Zhou
• The Zhou relied on a decentralized administration,
entrusting power, authority, and responsibility to
subordinates who in return owed allegiance, tribute,
and military support to the central government
• Subordinates gradually established their own bases
of power, setting up regional bureaucracies, armies,
and tax systems which allowed them to consolidate
their rule and exercise their authority
• The Zhou began to lose control
Period of the Warring States (403 to 221
B.C.)
• The late centuries of the Zhou Dynasty brought
political confusion to China and led eventually to
chaos
• Territorial princes ignored the central government
and used their resources to build, strengthen, and
expand their own states
• They fought ferociously among themselves to
become the leader of the new political order
• Violence and chaos gave rise to the name “Period of
the Warring States”
Period of the Warring States
Education
• In response to this chaos, people began
thinking about the nature of society and the
proper roles of human beings in society to
hopefully identify principles that would
restore political and social order
– Confucianism
– Daoism
– Legalism
Education: Confucianism
• Founded by Kong Fuzi
(551-479 B.C.)
– Known in English as
Confucius
• Thoroughly practical
approach
– Moral, ethical, and
political thought
– Did not address abstruse
philosophical or religious
questions
Education: Confucianism
• Thought social harmony arose from the proper
ordering of human relationships rather than the
establishment of state offices
• Believed the best way to promote good government
was to fill official positions with individuals who were
both well educated and extremely conscientious
– Concentrated on forming junzi (“superior individuals”) who
took a broad view of public affairs and did not allow
personal interests to influence their judgments
Education: Confucianism
• Even more important than
advanced education to the
ideal government official was
a strong sense of moral
integrity and a capacity to
deliver wise and fair
judgments
• Confucius encouraged his
students to cultivate high
ethical standards and hone
their facilities of analysis and
judgment
• Required social activism
• Ren
– An attitude of kindness and
benevolence or a sense of
humility
– Courtesy, respectfulness,
diligence, and loyalty
• Li
– A sense of propriety, which
called for individuals to behave
in conventionally appropriate
fashion
• Xiao
– Filial piety (reflective of the
high significance of the family
in Chinese society)
Education: Daoism
• Daoists were the most prominent
critics of Confucian activism
– Considered it pointless to waste
time and energy on problems that
defied solution
– Instead, Daoists devoted their
energies to reflection and
introspection, hoping that they
could understand the natural
principles that governed the world
and learn to live in harmony with
them
Laozi,
founder of Daoism
Education: Daoism
• Dao means “the way,” “the way of nature,” or “the way of the
cosmos”
• Dao is neither positive or negative
– It is a supremely passive force that does nothing but
accomplishes everything
– Individuals should tailor their behavior to Dao’s passive
and yielding nature
• Called for retreating from the world of politics and
administration and living a simple, accepting life
Chinese character for Dao
Education: Legalism
• Ultimately, order was restored through legalism
– Unlike the Dao, legalists cared nothing about principles
governing the world or the place of human beings in
nature
– Practical and efficient approach to statecraft in which the
state was strengthened and expanded at all costs
– Sought to channel as many people as possible into
cultivation or military service and discouraged them from
careers as merchants, entrepreneurs, scholars, educators,
philosophers, poets, or artists
Education: Legalism
• “Legalism”
– Self-interest must be
subordinated to the
interests of the state
– Strict legal regimen that
clearly outlined
expectations and
provided severe, swiftly
administered
punishment
– Harsh penalties for even
minor infractions
Education: Legalism
• Collective responsibility before the law
– Expected all members of a family or community to
observe others closely, forestall any illegal activity,
and report infractions
– Failure to do so meant all members of the family
or community were subject to punishment along
with the violator
• Unpopular program but eventually restored order
and brought about a unified China
Shang Yang (390 to 338 B.C.) and Han
Feizi (280 to 233 B.C.)
• Yang and Feizi were the chief developers of
the legalist doctrine
• Both served as advisors to the Qin court
• Both made serious enemies
– Yang was murdered, his body mutilated, and his
family annihilated
– Feizi was forced to commit suicide
Legalism: According to Han Feizi
• “...rewards should be rich and certain so that the
people will be attracted by them; punishments
should be severe and definite so that the people will
fear them; and laws should be uniform and
steadfast so that the people will be familiar with
them. Consequently, the sovereign should show no
wavering in bestowing rewards and grant no pardon
in administering punishments, and he should add
honor to rewards and disgrace to punishments-when this is done, then both the worthy and the
unworthy will want to exert themselves...”
Qin: Unification
• Rulers of several regional states adopted elements of
the legalist doctrine
• The most enthusiastic were the Qin in western China
(where Yang and Feizi had oversaw the legalist
doctrine’s implementation)
– The Qin soon dominated their neighbors and imposed
centralized rule throughout China
• Qin only lasted a few years, but their successors, the
Han, followed their policy of centralized imperial
administration
How were populations controlled in
China?
How were populations controlled in
China?
• Philosophically, as a response to the failed social and political
order of the Period of the Warring States
• Confucianism
– Cultivate high ethical standards and facilities of analysis
and judgment and apply them in a socially active way
• Daoism
– Retreat from the world of politics and administration and
living a simple, accepting life
• Legalism
– Subordinate self-interests to the interests of the state and
harshly punish all violations