I’m working on a philosophy writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.
This week we move to ancient China and see how differing philosophies emerged to shape the worldviews of the ancient Chinese people. It is fortunate
that so many of these ancient texts have survived. We have three different readings for this week and the questions are stated below.
Confucius and the Analects
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E) is the most famous Chinese philosopher whose ideas are among the most important in world history because of the legacy
they had on Chinese society. However, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 B.C.E), had all books related to Confucius burned.
Based on the assigned text, why might an emperor not approve of the teachings of Confucius? Remember to provide textual evidence in your response
Laozi and Daoism
Another important philosophy that emerged in China was Daoism (or Taoism) by Laozi (500s-490s/480s B.C.E). Whether or not Laozi was a single person
is up to speculation, but Daoism was another belief system that shaped Chinese history.
Compare and contrast this text with the one from Confucius. Where do they agree? Where do they disagree? Remember to cite textual evidence in your
response
Han Fei-Legalism
The ideology of Legalism re-emerged during the Chinese Warring States Period which saw the emergence of Qin Shi Huang and the Qin Dynasty. While
there were earlier “proto” Legalist ideologies in China prior to the Warring States Period, Han Fei (280-233 B.C.E) ushered in an ideology that became
popular with Qin Shi Huang and led to the burning of Confucius texts.
What are some of the ideas of Legalism? How does it different from The Analects? Remember to cite textual evidence in your response