Ch. 8 SOWC Notes (History)

Ch. 8: The Unification of China

Period of the Warring States (403-221 BCE)

Confucius: thought was fundamentally moral, ethical and political in character. -did not address abstruse (esoteric) philosophical questions, b/c he thought they would not help to solve the political and social problems of his day. -Did not deal with religious questions, b/c he thought they went beyond the capacity of human intelligence (whatever that means). -did not concern himself with the structuring of the state, b/c he thought political and social harmony arose from the proper ordering of human relationships rather than the est. of state offices.

-thought the best way to promote good govt. was to fill official positions with individuals who were both well educated and extraordinarily conscientious. -concentrated on the formation of what he called junzi ("superior individuals") who took a broad view of public affairs and did not allow personal interests to influence their judgements.

-he and his disciples studied works of poetry and history produced during the Zhou dynasty, since he believed that they provided excellent insight into human nature (est. educational system and formal curriculum are absent). e.g. Book of Songs, Book of History, Book of Rites, et al. -concentrated on their practical value for prospective admins.

Confucian Values:

ren: attitude of benevolence or a sense of humanity. -desperately needed in govt. officials.

Li: sense of propriety. -people should treat all other human beings with courtesy, while showing special respect and deference to elders or superiors.

xiao: respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Daoism: represented an effort to understand the fundamental character of the world and nature. Introspective.

dao: "the way (of nature and the cosmos)" -an elusive concept, and generally characterized in negative and ambiguous terms, passive. -eternal and unchanging force, governs workings of the world. To the Daoists, living in harmony with dao meant retreating from engagement in politics and administration.

wuwei: disengagement from the competitive exertions and active involvement in affairs of the world. early concept of laizez-faire

Legalism: apathetic to ethics, morality or propriety; or about the principles governing the world and man's place in nature.

foundations of a state's strength-agriculture and the military

expected to harness subjects' energy by means of clear and strict laws (hence the name "Legalist")

While Chinese rarely characterize themselves in the Legalist school, and have had little praise for it, it did end the Period of the Warring States and led to the unification of China.

Qin Shihuangdi: (221-210 BCE) "First Emperor"-empire only lasted 14 years. -ignored the nobility and ruled his empire through a centralized bureaucracy. -governed from his capital at Xianyang (Capital city of the Qin Empire) near the early Zhou capital of Hao and the modern city of Xi'an. -commanded the building of the Great Wall of China.

Han Dynasty: started by Liu Bang, which he named in honor of his native land. -lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE. -Han rule temporarily displaced by a usurper from 9-23 CE. -historians conventionally divide the dynasty into the Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE) and the Later Han (25-220 CE).