LESSON 7.6 What were the inþuences of Confucianism, religions and laws? LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to explain the signiýcance of Confucianism and the beliefs of Daoism and Buddhism on the laws and government of China.
Tune in The following is a Confucian saying: ‘The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute; the man who does not ask is a fool for life.’ 1. Mind map what you think this saying means. 2. Have you or your peers heard of any other Confucian sayings? 3. Discuss whether the quote provided still applies to modern life.
SOURCE1 A statue of Confucius made centuries after his death
7.6.1 The ideas and inþuence of Confucianism In ancient China, people worshipped nature gods and ancestors. Three main beliefs — Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism — shaped life and taught tolerance. Confucianism also inþuenced ancient Chinese law. Confucius (551–479 BCE) During the wars of the Zhou dynasty, philosophers tried to solve problems. Confucius, regarded as China’s greatest thinker, was born into a noble family. He chose to teach about life and government instead of becoming a high ofýcial. The philosophy of Confucius We know about Confucius from a book called The Analects , which contains his sayings written by his followers. He focused on how good behaviour could create a fair and peaceful society. Confucius taught about family duty, kindness and that rulers should lead by example. Although he didn’t convince rulers in his time, his ideas lasted. His student, Mencius, did inþuence rulers, and Confucius’s teachings shaped Chinese thought for many years, valuing wise leaders over warriors.
SOURCE2 From The Analects
The princes of today are greedy in their search after material goods. They indulge themselves in pleasure and neglect their duties and carry themselves with a proud air. They take all they can from the people and invade the territory of good rulers against the will of the people, and they go out to get what they want without regard for what is right. That is the way of the modern rulers.
TOPIC7 Ancient China 201
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