BELIEF SYSTEMS AND CONCEPTS THE HAN DYNASTY CONFUCIANISM

BELIEF SYSTEMS AND CONCEPTS THE HAN DYNASTY

CONFUCIANISM

FOUNDER �Founded by Confucius, an influential Chinese scholar who lived during the Zhou Dynasty. �He studied and taught history, music, and morals.

BELIEFS ABOUT SOCIETY AND ORDER �He believed that social order could be restored in China if people mastered 5 basic relationships: ▪ Ruler/subject ▪ Father/son ▪ Husband/wife ▪ Brother/Brother ▪ Friend/Friend Honoring parents was most important!!!!

BELIEFS ABOUT GOVERNMENT �Confucius believed that education could transform anyone into a gentlemen or lady �He believed that the most able should be part of a trained bureaucracy- those who run the government A test on Confucianism became the means for advancement in the Han Dynasty

DAOISM

FOUNDED BY: �Laozi- a Chinese thinker who lived during the 500 s BC �Wrote an influential book -“Dao de Jing” or ‘The Way of Virtue’

IDEAS ABOUT SOCIETY AND ORDER �Daoists believe that a universal force known as the Dao, “the Way”, guides all things �Only humans fail to follow the Dao- humans should find balance through nature and not worry about right and wrong �Ideally people would be centered and without any desires �This led many Daoists to become scientists. They led the fields of astronomy, medicine, and chemistry.

IDEAS ABOUT GOVERNMENT �Government should do as little as possible and leave people alone to find their nature balance �People can do very little to change the outcome of events around them

LEGALISM

FOUNDED BY: �Li Si and Hanfeizi- two philosophers who were involved in the government of the Qin Dynasty

IDEAS ABOUT SOCIETY �The only way order can be achieved is through an extremely powerful and efficient government with strict laws and harsh punishments �People are generally evil and need harsh laws and a strict ruler to guide them

IDEAS ABOUT GOVERNMENT �Leaders should provide small rewards for people who follow the laws and extremely harsh punishments for those who do not �Leaders should control ideas as well as actions �Those suspected as having dangerous ideas should be punished. Any books with dangerous ideas should be burnt �ALL people are subject to the same laws