Legalism

• Warring States period (481-221 BCE) = intense fighting between rival Chinese states   * Zhou dynasty weakened control over China → split into states and started fighting   * People believed that people were naturally selfish because of the constant war → needed harsh rule     * Led to widespread legalism   * Qin dynasty wanted to reunite China but two different approaches argued     * Confucianism → promote virtue + respect     * Legalism → harsh law + military respect
• Shang Yang = Qin state official: founder of legalism   * Used power to create reforms:     * Got rid of the feudal system     * Divided Qin area into different regions with local governors     * Standardized systems of weight + measures     * Encouraged farming + soldiering careers       * Required all citizens to join the military     * Rearranged taxation     * Strict legal code → struck fear in citizens + Qin rulers   * Executed by Qin leader Duke Xiao
• Han Feizi = Han state official: creator of essays to help leaders organize legalist governments   * Stressed importance of harsh laws     * Punish those who do wrong, reward those who do right       * Place the most behaving men in charge   * Believed that the people were supposed to be able to do their own jobs/benefit the state with little direct help from the leader     * Natural allegiance   * Killed by Li Si out of jealousy for skills and knowledge
• Li Si = Qi state official; killed Han Feizi out of jealousy   * Divided Qin state into provinces   * Construction of the Great Wall   * Universal system of writing     * Legalism included order + strengthening state   * Period of book burning + prohibition of history education   * Executed (unpopular)

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