Age of Scholarship.

Age of Scholarship

Traditional history speaks of the Zhou conquering the Shang and proclaiming a mandate of heaven. The Zhou justified their conquest by citing the moral depravity and excesses of the last Shang King. They set up a network of kin relationship (zongfai) in various regions, which formed the basis of a new unified state.

During the Period of the Warring States, in the late centuries of the Zhou dynasty. Three school came upon Chinese history that tried to influence their ideas to the government. they were: Confucianism, Daoism(Taoism), Legalism.

Confucianism comes from a chinese thinker named Kong Fuzi "Master Philosopher Kong". Confucius believed that the best way to promote good government was to fill official positions with individual positions who were both well educated and extraordinarily conscientious. Confucianism emphasized on several qualities such as ren, li, and xiao. Ren means attitude of kindness and benevolence or a sense of humanity.

Statue of Shang Yang, an Ancient Chinese celebrity

Freedom and Confucianism

Taoism

Li is a sense of propriety, which called for individuals to behave on conventionally appropriate fashion. And that people should treat each other with respect. Xiao is where the family value comes, and shows how people should treat themselves and others inside the family. Confucianist were more about values that would lead them to be greater persons in life and to have respect for one another as if they were family. Two later disciples of Confucius-Mencius and Xunzi- illustrate especially well the ways in which Confucius thought lent it self to elaboration and adaptation.

Mencius (372-289 b.c.) who was a spokesman for the Confucian School traveled through out China, consulting with rulers and offering advice on political issues. He emphasis mostly on the Virtue of ren which encouraged harmony and cooperation. Though the politicians and critics thought his ideas were naive and that they would have a...