Legalism Flashcards
Who is the major figure in Legalism?
Qin Shi Huang Di - China is basically named after him; First king of the kings; Part of the Qin Family; 1st emperor of the Qin Dynasty; Connects 6 groups as a single group as China; Didn’t like people who were independent; Wanted to live forever; My way or death
What was Qin Shi Huang’s early life like?
Born into royalty; Highly educated; Assassination attempt when he was 9; Spend his childhood in a hostage situation (Zhao dynasty) after his father died; Lived in a time where there are a lot of wars; Told by parents he HAD to end period of warring states & was assigned by God; Saw himself as a peacemaker (putting pieces back together)
Who is Han Feizi?
Qin Shi Huang’s administer; Wrote the major text of Legalism; the greatest of China’s Legalist philosophers
What achievements made by Qin Shi Huang was so great?
He unified China under a single government; In charge of the construction of the Great Wall of China - built to protect as well as keep people insidE China
What is the Major text in Legalism?
6 Examples of Having it Backwards
What is the Major Text of Legalism about?
Reminder of the importance of good leadership - warning to rulers that they must avoid the 6 mistakes he identifies or they risk losing their trust in people or their goals.
1. Rewarding evil and punishing good
2. Promoting the unworthy/failure and demoting(punishing) the worthy/success
3. Prioritize form over substance
4. Listening to flattery and ignoring criticism
5. Being slow to reward and quick to punish
6. Using people based on their personal relationships rather than their merit
What are the main points on society of Legalism?
Advocated for a strict adherence to laws and regulations as the foundation for a stable society; Promoted the concentration of power in the hands of a ruler; Skeptical of human nature; Sought power and stability above everything else; Well-ordered society required tight control over people’s actions, discouraging individualism and promoting collective obedience to maintain social stability
What are the central teachings of Legalism?
Actions of Qin Shi Huang Di; Human nature in naturally selfish and bad; A strong ruler is needed to maintain order; Laws should be clear, consistent, and impartially enforced; Rewards and punishments
What kind of system is Legalism?
A political philosophy, not a religion
Rewards and Punishments
Solution to China’s problem lies in rules or laws, spelt out and strictly enforced through this system; Rewards for compliance and Punishments for disobedience;
What is the goal of Legalism?
A peaceful and orderly society; Achieve harmonies / well - ordered society through strict laws and orders
What is Legalism about?
Respect for the law and the government’s right to punish people’s behavior
What did Qin Shi Huang made everyone in China do?
Follow the same rules / do the same things
What did Legalists believe about humans?
That they are traitorous; Humans are corrupt by nature and cannot be fixed, only controlled; The best way to control them is through a system of rewards and punishments that is consistently applied; Values as a society is completely backward - Related to Han Feizi’s text; People who follows rules get criticized whereas people who cheat is celebrated
Great Wall of China
Qin Shi Huang built the great wall of china (first one to construct)
Goal of great wall: Keep out invaders (Mongols); Keep people from escaping China as well
