Other TraditionsOther Traditions

Most prominent among the hundred Most prominent among the hundred schools of thoughtschools of thought– MohismMohism– LegalismLegalism– Taoism (Daoism)Taoism (Daoism)– School of SophistsSchool of Sophists– Yin-yang School (School of Cosmologists)Yin-yang School (School of Cosmologists)– School of Military AffairsSchool of Military Affairs

LegalismLegalism

Representatives: Lord Shang, Han FeiziRepresentatives: Lord Shang, Han Feizi

Teachings: Strong government depends on Teachings: Strong government depends on effective laws and procedures; the purpose of effective laws and procedures; the purpose of rule is “enriching and strengthening the state”rule is “enriching and strengthening the state”– Ruler should use his power and technique to rule Ruler should use his power and technique to rule

effectively byeffectively byEstablishing strong institutional structureEstablishing strong institutional structure

Accumulating personal powerAccumulating personal power

Using law, rewards, and harsh punishmentsUsing law, rewards, and harsh punishments

Lord Shang (or Shang Lord Shang (or Shang Yang d. 338 BCE): Yang d. 338 BCE):

law is sovereign’s will, law is sovereign’s will, monarch regulates all monarch regulates all under him but remains under him but remains above the law, which he above the law, which he can change as he can change as he wisheswishes

Han Feizi (or Han Han Feizi (or Han Fei-tzu, d. 233 BCE)Fei-tzu, d. 233 BCE)

Ruler should trust no one, Ruler should trust no one, not even wives and not even wives and concubinesconcubines

should keep his subjects in should keep his subjects in awe of him and keep them awe of him and keep them ignorant of his intentionsignorant of his intentions

should prohibit public should prohibit public opinions and control people opinions and control people by manipulating by manipulating competition among themcompetition among them– should make his decrees should make his decrees

laws, and awards and laws, and awards and punishment automaticpunishment automatic

MohismMohism

Founder: Mozi Founder: Mozi (ca. 480-390 (ca. 480-390 BCE)BCE)

Text ascribed Text ascribed to Mozi is to Mozi is called the called the Mozi.Mozi.

Teachings:Teachings:Universal love: no distinction Universal love: no distinction

between loving one’s parents and between loving one’s parents and

loving everyone else (strangers)loving everyone else (strangers)Utilitarianism:Utilitarianism:

Work and labor are needed to build a Work and labor are needed to build a

statestate

Rituals and music are insignificantRituals and music are insignificantmourning parents for three years is mourning parents for three years is

unnecessary because it interrupts workunnecessary because it interrupts work

Daoism/TaoismDaoism/Taoism

Legendary founder: Legendary founder: Laozi (Lao-tzu, 6Laozi (Lao-tzu, 6thth C. BCE)C. BCE)

Most Creative Most Creative successor: successor: Zhuangzi (Chuang-Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu, ca. 369-286 tzu, ca. 369-286 BCE)BCE)

Representative works:Representative works:The The LaoziLaozi or the or the Daode jingDaode jing (the (the Lao-Lao-

tzutzu or the or the Tao-te chingTao-te ching): authorship ): authorship

attributed to Laozi (Lao-tzu), but there attributed to Laozi (Lao-tzu), but there

probably were more than one author.probably were more than one author.

The The ZhuangziZhuangzi (the (the Chuang-tzuChuang-tzu): ):

Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) authored the Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) authored the

first seven chapters; chapters 8-33 by first seven chapters; chapters 8-33 by

disciples and followersdisciples and followers

Early Daoist TeachingsEarly Daoist Teachings Non-striving: The virtue of Non-striving: The virtue of non-actionnon-action Simplicity: Simplicity:

– Importance of an individual’s private and Importance of an individual’s private and simple life; simple life;

– Alienated men and isolated society are most Alienated men and isolated society are most ideal ideal

Freedom: Freedom: – The ruled: people should be left alone; rulers The ruled: people should be left alone; rulers

should not interfere with people’s lives; should not interfere with people’s lives; people should enjoy opportunity of free and people should enjoy opportunity of free and easy wandering easy wandering

– The ruler: people should remain ignorant and The ruler: people should remain ignorant and content, which is their natural state content, which is their natural state

Anti-convention: conventional values Anti-convention: conventional values bring only disastersbring only disasters

RelativityRelativity is the cardinal principle of is the cardinal principle of mattersmatters– No absolute fortune or misfortune, gain No absolute fortune or misfortune, gain

or lose, give or takeor lose, give or take– Distinction between things causes social Distinction between things causes social

conflictconflict– No ultimate reality: dream and death are No ultimate reality: dream and death are

parts of the great natural process and parts of the great natural process and transformationtransformation

The The Zhuangzi/Chuang-tzuZhuangzi/Chuang-tzu Main ideas and teachings of the Main ideas and teachings of the

texttext– Holistic view of world and lifeHolistic view of world and life– The immensity of nature and the The immensity of nature and the

immeasurable living beings in immeasurable living beings in human worldhuman worldEquality of all lives (living beings) Equality of all lives (living beings)

and thingsand thingsEvery living being has its place and Every living being has its place and

natural way of lifenatural way of life

– Inadequacy of Inadequacy of knowledge, knowledge, words, and words, and rational thinkingrational thinking Ideas and Ideas and

knowledge knowledge cannot be cannot be conveyed conveyed through words through words effectivelyeffectively

– Superiority of Superiority of inner virtueinner virtue

Reverence natureReverence nature Cultivate spontaneity Cultivate spontaneity Change, Transcendence, Change, Transcendence, Transformation of life,Transformation of life, Meditation and self-Meditation and self-

cultivation through cultivation through concentrating concentrating qi/ch’iqi/ch’i

Useful of being uselessUseful of being useless

Zhuangzi

Later DaoismLater Daoism

Immortality could be achieved throughImmortality could be achieved through alchemyalchemy Breathing and meditation exercisesBreathing and meditation exercises ExorcismExorcism Sexual hygieneSexual hygiene HerbalismHerbalism Talismanic charmsTalismanic charms

Ge Hong (283-343)—Master Who Embraces Ge Hong (283-343)—Master Who Embraces SimplicitySimplicity

Later Daoist School: Later Daoist School: Supreme PuritySupreme Purity Numinous TreasureNuminous Treasure

Taoism and Taoism and Popular Beliefs Popular Beliefs

Literary works Literary works produced in the produced in the South, such as the South, such as the Songs of the ChuSongs of the Chu ((SouthSouth) indicate the ) indicate the existence of existence of popular beliefs in a popular beliefs in a multitude of multitude of deities, spirits, deities, spirits, gods, goddesses, gods, goddesses, such as :such as : the Lady of the the Lady of the

Xiang (Hsiang), …Xiang (Hsiang), …

Shaman and a variety of Shaman and a variety of religious adepts served religious adepts served as spirit mediums, as spirit mediums, whose functions:whose functions: Evoked spiritual journey Evoked spiritual journey

to far-off places, fantastic to far-off places, fantastic spheres in celestial and spheres in celestial and terrestrial worldsterrestrial worlds

Created ecstatic spiritual Created ecstatic spiritual love and relationship love and relationship between man and between man and nymph, fairy, or goddess nymph, fairy, or goddess

Summoned the soul of Summoned the soul of the dead to “come back” the dead to “come back” to the abode where its to the abode where its living body took living body took residence before his residence before his deathdeath