1. D AOISM, C ONFUCIANISM, L EGALISM By Alex B.

2. C ONFUCIUS Confucius lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E. Confucius is based on old Chinese traditions. He was born in the small state of Lu. He believed law and order were needed to maintain every day life. China was invaded many times during Confucius’s life, so he wanted to create a peace treaty of China’s history. He made a great impact on Chinese history.

3. C ONFUCIUS

4. T EACHINGS OF C ONFUCIANISM Confucius respected Chinese history and focused his teachings on the Chinese culture and history. His goal was to create a peaceful land for all Chinese people. Confucius made this possible by creating higher and lower classes. This was called feudalism where the king owned all of the land. Peasants were claimed as the lower class. Confucius also wrote poetry for all of the land to read. After his death he attracted many students who spread his teachings.

5. D AOISM Like Confucianism, Daoism gave answers to right living and government. Some modern scholars believe Laozi was the wise man of Daoism. Many believe he was an actual person. Laozi wrote The Dao De Jing (The Classic of the Way and Its Power). The Dao De Jing taught a simple way of living. One passage reads, ‘‘ If you do not want your house to be molested by robbers, Do not fill it with gold and jade. Wealth, rank and arrogance add up to ruin, As surely as two and two are four.’’

6. D AOISM AS A R ELIGION

7. D AOISM YIN AND YANG Balancing the opposite forces of nature are called Yin and Yang. Yin means shaded, and Yang means sunlit. Daoist rulers should behave by being weak and letting things form by themselves. Daoism encouraged rulers to rule less harshly and to live naturally.

8. L EGALISM The founder of Legalism was Hanfeizi. Hanfeizi was a prince of the royal family of The State of Han. Hanfeizi was very concerned with peace and order in society. Hanfeizi thought that it was possible to be stern but not cruel while ruling. According to Hanfeizi, “He who trusts will be controlled by others.”

9. L EGALISM The Qin dynasty seized control of China at the end of the Warring Sates period. People were forbidden to criticize the government.

10. C ONFUCIANISM, D AOISM AND L EGALISM WERE THREE PHILOSOPHIES THAT INFLUENCED C HINESE G OVERNMENT, C ULTURE AND H ISTORY. E ACH OFFERED A WAY TO HAVE PEACE AND ORDER IN SOCIETY.

11. SOURCES AND CITATIONS Link to China Connection Tours http://www.china-tour.cn/Chinese-History/The-Golden-Age-of- Chinese-Philosophy.htm Link to Image of Confucius http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://othersideofthe planet.com/wp-content/uploads/Confucius_cute.jpg http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://othersideofthe planet.com/wp-content/uploads/Confucius_cute.jpg Image of Daoism as Religion http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://landsofwisdo m.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Han-Feizi.jpg Frey, Wendy. “History Alive! The Ancient World.” Student Edition. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2004.