chapter 8

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Chapter 8

The Unification of China

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Confucius

• Kong Fuzi (551-479 BCE)– Master Philosopher Kong

• Aristocratic roots

• Unwilling to compromise principle

• Decade of unemployment, wandering

• Returned home a failure, died soon thereafter

• Teachings: Analects

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Confucian Ideas

• Ethics and politics– Avoided religion, metaphysics

• Junzi: “superior individuals”– Role in government service

“He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place, while all the stars turn toward it.”

Emphasis on Zhou Dynasty texts– later formed core texts of Chinese education


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Confucian Values

• Ren– kindness, benevolence

• Li– Propriety

• Xiao– Filial piety

• Traits lead to development of junzi– Ideal leaders

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Mencius (372-289 BCE)

• Principal Confucian scholar

• Optimist, belief in power of ren:“How virtuous must a man be before he can become a

true King? He becomes a true King by bringing peace to the people. This is something no one can stop.”

Not influential during lifetime– Considered prime exponent of Confucian

thought since 10th century

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Xunzi (298-238 BCE)

• Career as government administrator

• Belief in fundamental selfishness of humanity– Compare with Mencius

• Emphasis on li, rigid propriety

• discipline

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Daoism• Critics of Confucianism

– Passivism, rejection of active attempts to change the course of events

• Founder: Laozi, 6th c. BCE“In governing men and in serving heaven, there is nothing

like moderation. . . . The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong.”

The Daodejing (Classic of Way and of Virtue)

• Zhuangzi (named for author, 369-236 BCE)

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The Dao

• “The Way” (of nature, of the cosmos)

– Water: soft and yielding, but capable of eroding rock

– Cavity of pots, wheels: nonexistent, but essential


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Doctrine of Wuwei

• Attempt to control universe results in chaos

• Restore order by disengagement– No advanced education– No ambition

• Simple living in harmony with nature

• Cultivate self-knowledge

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Political Implications of Daoism

• Confucianism as public doctrine

• Daoism as private pursuit

• Ironic combination allowed intellectuals to pursue both

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LegalismLegalism Emphasis on development of the stateEmphasis on development of the state

– Ruthless, end justifies the meansRuthless, end justifies the means Role of LawRole of Law

– Strict punishment for violatorsStrict punishment for violators– Principle of collective responsibilityPrinciple of collective responsibility

Shang Yang (390-338 BCE), Shang Yang (390-338 BCE), The Book of the The Book of the Lord ShangLord Shang

Han Feizi (280-233 BCE)Han Feizi (280-233 BCE)– Forced to commit suicide by political enemiesForced to commit suicide by political enemies– ““In a strict household there are no unruly slaves, but In a strict household there are no unruly slaves, but

the children of a kindly mother often turn out bad. the children of a kindly mother often turn out bad. From this I know that power and authority can From this I know that power and authority can prevent violence, but kindness and generosity are prevent violence, but kindness and generosity are insufficient to put an end to disorder.insufficient to put an end to disorder.””


Legalist DoctrineLegalist Doctrine

Two strengths of the stateTwo strengths of the state– AgricultureAgriculture– MilitaryMilitary

Emphasized development of peasant, Emphasized development of peasant, soldier classessoldier classes

Distrust of pure intellectual, cultural Distrust of pure intellectual, cultural pursuitspursuits

Historically, often imitated but rarely Historically, often imitated but rarely praisedpraised

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The Unification of China

• Qin dynasty develops, 4th-3rd centuries BCE

• Generous land grants under Shang Yang– Private farmers decrease power of large

landholders– Increasing centralization of power

• Improved military technology


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The First Emperor• Qin Shihuangdi (r. 221-210 BCE)

founds new dynasty as “First Emperor”

• Dynasty ends in 207, but sets dramatic precedent

• Basis of rule: centralized bureaucracy

• Massive public works begun– Incl. precursor to Great Wall

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China under the Qin dynasty, 221-207 B.C.E.

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Resistance to Qin Policies

• Emperor orders execution of all critics

• Orders burning of all ideological works

• Some 460 scholars buried alive

• Others exiled

• Massive cultural losses

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Qin Centralization

• Standardized:– Laws– Currencies– Weights and measures– Script

• Previously: single language written in distinct scripts

• Building of roads, bridges

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Massive Tomb Projects

• Built by 700,000 workers

• Slaves, concubines, and craftsmen sacrificed and buried

• Excavated in 1974, 15,000 terra cotta soldiers unearthed

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Tomb of the First Emperor


The Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty

Civil disorder brings down Qin Civil disorder brings down Qin dynasty 207 BCEdynasty 207 BCE

Liu Bang forms new dynasty: the Han Liu Bang forms new dynasty: the Han (206 BCE-220 CE)(206 BCE-220 CE)– Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE)Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE)– Interruption 9-23 CEInterruption 9-23 CE– Later Han (25-220 CE)Later Han (25-220 CE)

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Early Han Policies

• Relaxed Qin tyranny without returning to Zhou anarchy

• Created large landholdings

• But maintained control over administrative regions

• After failed rebellion, took more central control

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Han Centralization

• The Martial Emperor: Han Wudi (141-87 BCE)

• Increased taxes to fund more public works

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Confucian Educational System• Huge demand for government officials,

decline since Qin persecution

• Han Wudi establishes an Imperial University in 124 BCE

• Not a lover of scholarship, but demanded educated class for bureaucracy

• Adopted Confucianism as official course of study

• 3000 students by end of Former Han, 30,000 by end of Later Han

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Han Imperial Expansion

• Invasions of Vietnam, Korea

• Constant attacks from Xiongnu– Nomads from Central Asia– Horsemen– Brutal: Maodun (210-174 BCE), had

soldiers murder his wife, father

• Han Wudi briefly dominates Xiongnu

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East Asia and central Asia at the time of Han Wudi, Ca. 87 B.C.E.

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Patriarchal Social Order

• Classic of Filial Piety– Subordination to elder males

• Admonitions for Women– Female virtues:

• Humility, obedience, subservience, loyalty

“No one is glad when a girl is born: by her the family sets no store. When she grows up, she hides in her room afraid to look a man in the face.”

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Iron Metallurgy

• Expansion of iron manufacture– Iron tips on tools abandoned as tools entirely

made from iron

• Increased food production

• Superior weaponry

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Other Technological Developments

• Cultivation of silkworms– Breeding

– Diet control• Other silk-producing lands relied on wild worms

• Development of paper– Bamboo, fabric abandoned in favor of

wood and textile-based paper

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Population Growth in the Han Dynasty

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

220 BCE 9 CE

Population (millions)

• General prosperity• Increased agricultural

productivity• Taxes small part of

overall income• Produce occasionally

spoiling in state granaries

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Economic and Social Difficulties

• Expenses of military expeditions, esp. vs. Xiongnu

• Taxes increasing

• Arbitrary property confiscations rise

• Increasing gap between rich and poor– Slavery, tenant farming increase– Banditry, rebellion

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Reign of Wang Mang (9-23 CE)

• Wang Mang regent for 2-year old Emperor, 6 CE

• Takes power himself 9 CE

• Introduces massive reforms– The “socialist emperor”– Land redistribution, but poorly handled

• Social chaos ends in his assassination 23 CE


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Later Han Dynasty

• Han Dynasty emperors manage, with difficulty, to reassert control

• Yellow Turban uprising challenges land distribution problems

• Internal court intrigue

• Weakened Han Dynasty collapses by 220 CE

chapter 8

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confucian ideasethics

power of ren

power of large land

government administratorbelief

government service

true king