Legalism

SOURCE : http://www.powerpoint-search-engine.com/legalism-ppt.html

Rule by harsh law & order

280? - 233 B.C.E.

Han Fe Zi.

Lived during the late Warring States

period.

Legalism became the political

philosophy of the Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty.

1. Human nature is naturally selfish.

2. Intellectualism and literacy is discouraged.

3. Law is the supreme authority and replaces morality.

4. The ruler must rule with a strong,punishing hand. 5. War is the means of

strengthening a ruler’s power.

One who favors the principle that individuals should obey a powerful authority rather than exercise individual freedom.

The ruler, therefore,“cracks his whip”

on the backs of his subjects!

Legalism• Han Feizi – founder of the Legalist

school of thought.• Disputed Confucius and Mencius’

view that humans are naturally inclined towards good.

• Legalists believed that people are by nature evil and need to be forced to do good by harsh laws and stiff punishments.

• Only a strong ruler could create an orderly society / Only firm action by the state could bring about social order.

• Shi Huangdi, leader of the Qin Dynasty made Legalism the first “ruling ideology” in China’s history.

• Created an authoritarian system:- non-Legalist political philosophies (including Confucianism) were

banned- books offering views contrary to

Legalist principles were burned

- all disagreements with the government was

made a capital crime• The dynasty was overthrown because it was

too oppressive

People were conscripted for mandatory state projects:

Irrigation projects Construction of sections of the Great Wall

• Shi Huangdi centralized political power in his hands.

• His way of ruling became a model for future Chinese dynasties.

• He did this by:- Appointing officials at the provincial

and county level / they did not inherit

their positions like under the Zhou- Unified the system of weights and

measures- Standardized the money system &

the written language- Constructed a system of roads all

over the empire

• Shi Huangdi established a class of eunuchs who served as personal attendants of the emperor and female members of his family.

- Why? Since eunuchs could not have children, they would not rise up against the emperor to seize power for his sons.

- To restrict the influence of male courtiers.

• Eunuchs became a standard fixture of the Chinese imperial system.

Mao Ze DongQin Shi Huang DiHan Fei Zi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DInxfYjPqKU(video on emperor Qin, what legalism can do)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoHOQ0pyNpI&feature=related

(Han Fei Zi, animations in Mandarin, 1 min)

Additional Resource:

http://www.authorstream.com/tag/Qin(ppt on Qin and Han dynasty)