Hundred Schools of Philosophy Essay ⋆ History Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

The late Spring and Autumn (722–481 b.c.e.) era and the Warring States (481–222 b.c.e.) era in China were marked by political chaos and social and economic change. The Zhou (Chou) dynasty was impotent and relegated to the sidelines as powerful lords vied for total control. Warfare became increasingly frequent and violent. This was also the glorious age of Chinese philosophy; all China’s classical philosophical systems were developed during this time. Thoughtful men, many of them administrators because of their education, were troubled by the chaos and sought answers. They produced a broad spectrum of ideas that ranged from the concrete to the most abstract and from the practical to the purely theoretical. The great variety of thought gave rise to the term Hundred Schools of Philosophy, also called the Hundred Schools of Thought.

There is a striking parallel between this period in Chinese history and the golden age of classical Greek philosophy, which occurred at about the same time. The many states of China resembled the Greek city-states, though on a larger scale. In each case the people from the disparate states recognized their common cultural heritage and longed for unity as they fought one another. Because political unity eluded both Chinese and Greeks, educated men debated with one another to find political solutions and moral answers. There were striking differences also. The Greeks had developed the concept of democracy, while no Chinese questioned the right of a monarch to govern all under heaven even as they sought to discover principles of moral authority that could unite their peoples under an ideal government.

In China the schools of philosophy can be classified into several broad categories. The most important one, whose name became inseparable with Chinese civilization, was Confucianism, a school of moral philosophy begun by Confucius. Its aim was to improve government and society by study of history and encourage men of superior morals to serve in government. Another was called Daoism (Taoism); it represented revolt from the strictures of a decadent society by emphasizing simplicity, detachment, and self-contentment. A school called Moism taught universal love, utilitarianism, and denounced offensive wars. The last among the major schools was Legalism. Not strictly a philosophy, it taught the ideal of an all-powerful sovereign state governed under strict and impartial laws. The Legalist goal was victory in war.

There were other groups that did not deal with moral principles. A man named Sunzi (Sun Tzu) was the reputed author of a book titled Bingfa (Ping-fa), or The Art of War, that is an analysis of total war in all its aspects. Other schools emphasized rhetoric and taught the art of persuasion, an important skill for diplomats in inter-state relations. Yet others taught logic and dialectics that had no practical application. The era of the Hundred Schools came to an end in 221 b.c.e. when a state named Qin (Ch’in), applying Legalism in its government, defeated all other states, unified China, and outlawed all philosophical debates.

References:

de Bary, Wm. T., et al., eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1960;
Chan, Wing-tsit. A Source Book of Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963;
Creel, Herrlee G. Chinese Thought from Confucius to Mao Tsetung. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960;
Fung, Yulan. A History of Chinese Philosophy. Trans. by Derk Bodde. 2 vols. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1952.

This example Hundred Schools of Philosophy Essay is published for educational and informational purposes only. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic please use our writing services. EssayEmpire.com offers reliable custom essay writing services that can help you to receive high grades and impress your professors with the quality of each essay or research paper you hand in.