What is Legalism and Confucianism?
Confucianism is an ethic of moral uprightness, social order, and filial responsibility. Daoism was a philosophy of universal harmony that urged its practitioners not to get too involved in worldly affairs. Legalism is a theory of autocratic, centralized rule and harsh penalties.
Rival Philosophies
Confucianism deals with social matters, while Taoism concerns itself with the search for meaning. They share common beliefs about man, society, and the universe, although these notions were around long before either philosophy. Both began as philosophies, each later taking on religious overtones.
Like Confucianism, Daoism, and Chinese Buddhism, the goal of legalism was to achieve order in Chinese society during a time of unrest. Unlike the other belief systems, legalism was quite harsh, with strict laws and severe punishments.
The Legalists advocated government by a system of laws that rigidly prescribed punishments and rewards for specific behaviours. They stressed the direction of all human activity toward the goal of increasing the power of the ruler and the state.
Confucianism relies on the fundamental goodness of human beings, whereas Legalism presupposes that people are fundamentally evil. Therefore, Confucianism casts everything in terms of corresponding responsibilities, whereas Legalism casts everything in terms of strict laws and harsh punishment.
In Christian theology, legalism (or nomism) is a pejorative term applied to the idea that "by doing good works or by obeying the law, a person earns and merits salvation."
There are several similarities between the Chinese philosophy of Confucianism and the religion of Buddhism.
Taoists believe that good actions will mean a better life for their soul so Taoists follow rules and guides for living. They are not allowed to tell lies, steal, commit adultery, commit murder or drink alcohol. They also have a list of good deeds to further guide they way they live.
Whereas Daoism seeks harmony between the individual (or human) way and the natural order and tends to dismiss human society as artificial and constrained, Confucianism emphasizes the achievement of a kind of moral excellence (ren, or “humaneness”) that is cultivated and manifested by conscientious behaviour within ...
strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
What is an antonym for legalism?
| criminal | crooked |
|---|---|
| prosecutable | unrestricted |
| unrestrained | abandoned |
| villainous | undeserved |
| unconstrained | unreasonable |
: strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.
Founder of legalism and believed that severe punishments were the only way to control people. -The Code of Law must be drafted and published. Laws should always be more important than individual interests and actions. All persons are considered equal before the law.
They say things like, “I should pray more often” rather than “I love to pray.” Outsiders don't visit often (perhaps because the church his known for its legalism). People who are deeply hurting due to their sins or poor choices feel humiliated and embarrassed around you or people in your congregation.
Legal moralism is the theory of jurisprudence and the philosophy of law which holds that laws may be used to prohibit or require behavior based on society's collective judgment of whether it is moral.
Confucianism and Legalism Before Shi Huangdi became emperor, most leaders had looked to the teachings of Confucius (551–479 B.C.) for guidance on how to rule. Shi Huangdi turned away from these teachings He took up another school of thought, called Legalism.
In contrast to Confucian concerns with human nature and social order, and Legalist concerns with the state and political order, Daoist thinkers of the Warring States period argued that people should aspire to live in harmony with nature and take nature as the model for human behavior.
Legalism is a philosophy based on the ideas of Han Fei, a Chinese man who lived during the Zhou Dynasty from 280 to 233BC.
In the New Testament, the Judaizers were a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that their co-religionists should follow the Mosaic Law and that Gentile converts to Christianity must first be circumcised (i.e. become Jewish through the ritual of a proselyte).
Is legalism seen today? Yes legalism is still around. It is seen today in China in many different aspects.
What religions does Confucianism conflict with?
Over the course of two millennia of close interaction in China, Confucians and Buddhists clashed on issues ranging from bowing to the emperor and one's parents to the foreign ancestry and routines of the Buddhist faith.
Confucianism differs from other religions in three aspects (1) it has no deity but is based instead on rules of conduct; (2) it was not established in a way that competes with other religions; and (3) it has no large-scale institutional 'church' with priests and ceremonial and a laity (Redding, 1993, p. 46).
Confucianism is one of the most influential religious philosophies in the history of China, and it has existed for over 2,500 years. It is concerned with inner virtue, morality, and respect for the community and its values.
As Confucianism gained popularity Taoism gradually fell from favour, and changed from an official religion to a popular religious tradition. After the communist takeover of China, Taoism was banned and its followers re-educated, with the result that the number of practicing Taoists fell by 99% in 10 years.
The core of Taoism is to reject hatred and intolerance of human differences and live with balance, harmony, perspective, and compassion. While violence is not precluded in Taoism, it is a last resort.
Taoism does not have a God in the way that the Abrahamic religions do. There is no omnipotent being beyond the cosmos, who created and controls the universe. In Taoism the universe springs from the Tao, and the Tao impersonally guides things on their way.
Daoism emphasizes gender equality by saying that the masculine and the feminine are equally significant and one could not be understood without the other. Only by interacting do the two complete a full circle and become one.
Taoist thought focuses on genuineness, longevity, health, immortality, vitality, wu wei (non-action, a natural action, a perfect equilibrium with tao), detachment, refinement (emptiness), spontaneity, transformation and omni-potentiality.
Rather, there are gods as part of the Taoist beliefs, often introduced from the various cultures found in the region known now as China. These gods are part of the Tao, like all living things. Taoism has temples, monasteries, and priests who make offerings, meditate, and perform other rituals for their communities.
In contrast to Taoism's intuitive anarchy, and Confucianism's benevolence, Legalism is a Classical Chinese philosophy that emphasizes the need for order above all other human concerns. The political doctrine developed during the brutal years of the Fourth Century BCE (Schafer 83).
How is legalism different from Taoism?
Daoism advocated that the individual should follow a mysterious force, called The Way (dao), of the universe, and that all things were one. Legalism held that humans were inherently bad and needed to be kept in line by a strong state. According to Legalism, the state was far more important than the individual.
Hence, the opposite gender emperor is an empress. Q.
Legalism appeals first to laws and principles given by a supra-personal authority. Antinomianism attempts to make moral decisions consistent with internal values and personal growth. Situationism, while treating the rules and values of society seriously, violates these rules if human welfare is best served by so doing.
Definition: The definition of Legalism is simply that the interest of the ruling class is much more important than the interest of the common people. Legalists strive for a strong, central government that holds absolute power and control over the people by the threat of extreme and harsh punishment.
Key Ideas of Confucianism
To the virtues of the ruler correspond values that each individual is supposed to cultivate: 1) benevolence toward others; 2) a general sense of doing what is right; and 3) loyalty and diligence in serving one's superiors.
Confucianism relies on the fundamental goodness of human beings, whereas Legalism presupposes that people are fundamentally evil. Therefore, Confucianism casts everything in terms of corresponding responsibilities, whereas Legalism casts everything in terms of strict laws and harsh punishment.
They believed that human beings—commoners and elites alike—will forever remain selfish and covetous of riches and fame, and one should not expect them to behave morally. Rather, a viable sociopolitical system should allow individuals to pursue their selfish interests exclusively in ways that benefit the state, viz.
Legalist believed that people were evil by nature and that people behave properly only if compelled by strict laws and harsh punishments. People's personal freedom should be sacrifices for the good of the state. Xunzi was one of the people who led to the development of Legalism.
- Legalism distorts the truth of the gospel. The Galatians were “turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel.” The promoters of legalism wanted to “distort the gospel of Christ” (Gal. ...
- Legalism steals joy. ...
- Legalism breeds conflict.
: strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.
What Confucianism means?
Confucianism is an ancient Chinese belief system, which focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality. Whether it is only or a philosophy or also a religion is debated.
Legalism in ancient China was a philosophical belief that human beings are more inclined to do wrong than right because they are motivated entirely by self-interest and require strict laws to control their impulses. It was developed by the philosopher Han Feizi (l. c. 280 - 233 BCE) of the state of Qin.
The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the cultivation of virtue in a morally organised world.
Does Confucianism have a god? There is no deity worshipped in Confucianism, though the worship of ancestors and of Confucius himself as a sage master and teacher are practiced.
Key Ideas of Confucianism
To the virtues of the ruler correspond values that each individual is supposed to cultivate: 1) benevolence toward others; 2) a general sense of doing what is right; and 3) loyalty and diligence in serving one's superiors. “Ritual (Li).
Confucianism is often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion. In fact, Confucianism built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society.
The founder of the Legalistic school was Hsün Tzu or Hsün-tzu. The most important principle in his thinking was that humans are inherently evil and inclined toward criminal and selfish behavior. Thus, if humans are allowed to engage in their natural proclivities, the result will be conflict and social disorder.
There are five principles around which Confucianism revolves- Jen, Li, Xin, Chung, Yi. The concept of Jen is based on human nature and benevolence. Li is a principle of respect and propriety. Xin refers to faithfulness and being honest towards oneself and others and helps the individuals to earn admiration.
The concepts of respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice and the moral values of these four prima facie principles have been expressly identified in Confucius' ethics.
The four tenets of Confucianism are Rites and Rituals, the Five Relations, Rectification of Names, and Ren. All rites and rituals are intentional acts of social unification.