Transcript Daoism, Legalism & Confucianism

Ancient China
Philosophies:
Daoism, Legalism &
Confucianism
Philosophy:
A belief about how people should act
and be governed
Daoism/Taoism
Daoism/Taoism
Started by a man named Lao Tsu
who lived around 600 BC
Is a philosophy but turned into a
religion
Lao Tsu believed that people needed
to go with the flow and let nature take
its course
Yin and Yang
Belief that everything in the universe
had an opposite reaction
Yin (right side) - women, moon, things
that are still & death
Yang (left side) - men, sun, things that
move & birth
If you do one thing, there will be a
natural opposite consequence
Beliefs…
Wrong for people to fight
Wrong for government to make rules
and laws
Against any kind of rules – feel there
should be natural consequences for
your actions
People should practice:
Compassion- awareness of another
person’s pain and wanting to help
Moderation- avoid extremes
Humility- modest, don’t brag
Legalism
Legalism Beliefs
Believed people are bad – need to be
controlled
Society needs strict laws
People should be punished for their
family’s behavior
Scare people into obeying laws
Rulers
Laws were enforced by strict punishments
Rulers must be strict otherwise people get
disrespectful and lazy
Confucianism
Confucius and Society
During Zhou Dynasty
Confucius, a man, felt that China was
full of rude, dishonest people
He wanted people to return to having
good ethics
Confucianism Beliefs
Fathers - role model
Children – respect/obey parents
Families - loyal to one another
Confucianism Beliefs
No strict laws
Leaders – role models, not scare into
good behavior
Confucius Proverbs
A man who has committed a mistake
and doesn't correct it is committing
another mistake.
Our greatest glory is not in never
falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Real knowledge is to know the extent
of one's ignorance.
Confucius Teachings
Confucius traveled all over teaching
his ideas
His teachings were put into a book
called The Analects
Confucianism is meant to guide
behavior