Religions and Philosophies of China

Confucianism Confucius was a teacher of the Han Dynasty The Analects is the name of the book containing his teachings He taught: Children should obey their elders Families should be loyal to each other A king should lead by example Fathers should display high moral values Lower classes should follow the example of superiors Moral leadership will bring order to China

Legalism Qin Shihaungdi People are naturally bad need to be controlled Believed in Political philosophy - not religions People are responsible for each other’s behavior (if a person does something wrong, all the family and neighbors should be punished) Appointed officials should lead, not the nobles ALWAYS BE READY FOR WAR

Daoism (Taoism) Called “The Way” Laozi was a most famous Daoist Teacher The Way and Its Power is the book of the Daoist Stressed living in harmony with the Dao (the guiding force of all reality) You should avoid interfering with nature The universe is a balance of opposites called Yin and Yang Daoists worship nature They want government out of people’s lives

Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama was the name of the Indian Prince who became Buddha Missionaries took Buddhism to japan, korea, and other Asian countries Attracted Chinese as a way to explain suffering and escape it Buddhism shaped Chinese art, literature, and architecture. The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path are the guiding beliefs