In a previous world history course, we spent a large amount of time studying the various major world belief systems, including several of those practiced in China. Two of these belief systems, Confucianism and Legalism, were discussed in this week’s reading, and I found it interesting to compare the two as a read and note how although both are political and social philosophies, not religions, their approaches are actually quite different.
Firstly, I found it interesting how the history of Confucius himself impacts one’s understanding of the belief system of Confucianism. Because Confucius spent much of his life attempting to gain high social status in government and attempting to influence the politics of his time, the philosophy of Confucianism is a reflection of how to answer the question of restoring political and social order. One point from the reading that I found very interesting was that many automatically assume that Confucianism must be a religion because of its prominence in Chinese history and society. However, according to Rossabi, this philosophy’s emphasis on this life differs from most religions (42). Unlike Legalism, Confucianism also concentrates heavily on the innate goodness of humanity and that individuals who possessed certain traits such a kindness, benevolence, respect, etc. would have a greater influence on society and would serve as an example. Rossabi writes that according to Confucianism “a man succeeded because of his self-cultivation, merit, and virtue, not because of heredity or fate” (43).
Directly opposed to the idea of an ethical code determining an individual’s fate is the philosophy of Legalism, which did not trust human nature and because of this, proposed harsh laws to enforce their beliefs and ensure public order. While Legalism did help China’s unification process, many also suffered under this philosophy, leading to resentment and most discrediting it (Rossabi 50-51). Rossabi asserts that Lord Shang believed that the law was the only way to regulate Chinese society and Confucian values were not only irrelevant to him but would actually make society weaker (51). While Legalism promoted tough laws and punishments as a way of controlling human nature, Confucianism a