Chapter 5 Summary

1.  What three major schools of thought emerged from the Warring States period (403-221 BCE), what were their guidelines and beliefs, and with whom were they associated?

• Legalism- A philosophy founded by Han Feizi that spelled out and strictly enforced rules or laws through a system of rewards and punishments.  Legalists had a pessimistic view of human nature.  Most people were stupid and shortsighted.  Only the state and its rulers could act in their long-term interests.  Legalists regarded farmers and soldiers as necessary because they performed essential functions, while suppressing artisans, merchants, aristocrats, scholars, and other classes who were seen as useless.
• Confucianism-  Was very different from Legalism.  Not laws and punishments, but the moral examples of superiors was the Confucian key to a restored social harmony after the Zhou and Qin dynasties.  For Confucius, human society consisted primarily of unequal relationships as expressed through filial piety.  If the superior party in each of the relationships behaved with sincerity, benevolence, and genuine concern for others, then the inferior party would be motivated to respond with deference and obedience.  Harmony would then prevail.  He emphasized the importance of education, striving for moral improvement, and good government.
• Daoism- A philosophy created by Laozi that, in many ways, ran counter to that of Confucianism regarding those ideas as artificial and useless.  Daoists urged withdrawal into the world of nature and encouraged behavior that was spontaneous, individualistic, and natural, whereas Confucius focused on the would of human relationships.  Daoism invited people to withdraw from the world of politics and social activism, to disengage from the public life, and to align themselves with the ways of nature.  It meant simplicity in living, in small self-sufficient communities in unified government and the abandonment of education and active efforts at self-improvement.

2.  Why has Confucianism been defined as a "humanistic philosophy" (for a tranquil society) rather than a supernatural religion?  What does Confucius say about gods and spirits?

The driving force of Confucian teaching was distinctly this-worldly and practical, concerned with human relationships, effective government, and social harmony.  Confucianism is based on the cultivation of ren- translated as human heartedness, benevolence, goodness, and nobility of heart.  Ren isn't achieved through divine intervention, but is nurtured within the person through personal reflection, education, and a willingness to strive to perfect one's moral character.  Confucius did not deny the reality of spirits and gods.  In fact, he advised people to participate in family and state rituals "as if the spirits were present," and he believed that the universe had a moral character with which human beings showed alignment to themselves.