Similarities Between Confucianism And Legalism

Throughout the world, China is usually thought of as a relatively straightforward society with an incredible mass production industry. However on the contrary, China is a multi-layered society with complex cultures. In order to understand this society, one must look into the three core ideologies that developed present China’s identity. The three core ideologies are Confucianism, Legalism, and Buddhism. The earliest ideology, Confucianism kickstarted the development of China’s identity with Confucius’ convincing words conveying the ideal moral relationship known as filial piety. On the other hand, Legalism was less concerned with morals and human relationships but rather dealt brutal justice in order to keep citizens behaving. Buddhism, the

In order to educate society, he created the terms “the gentleman,” ”filial piety,” and “the way” which created the ideal human being and a goal for people to strive for. Confucius’ moral teachings seemed to resonate with dukes and officials who desire to control their citizens which led to a high demand for Confucius’ advice on how to rule. For example, the Duke Ding of Jin, a major state during the Zhou dynasty sought out advice for maintaining a good relationship between a ruler and his ministers.1 As a result of Confucius’ advice being in high demand, Confucius became a highly renowned scholar whose teachings held influence over kings and their society even past his death. His teachings were carried on through his followers, one of the most prominent ones being Mencius. Mencius partook in politics advising multiple kings as well which further exerted Confucianism among the different states in China and helped spread the Confucian ideals of morality and filial piety. However, Confucianism’s support abruptly ended when the Qin state’s ruler, Lord Shang, had fully started the Qin Dynasty after conquering all of the kingdoms in the Warring States