China in the Formative Era

Question 1

what is confucianism

Answer 1

Confucius believed that to restore order, societies had to encourage certain virtues, such as loyalty, trustworthiness, and respecting your elders..

Question 2

what is daoism

Answer 2

In Daoism, “the Way” (道, Dào) is a fundamental concept that refers to the natural order of the universe. It’s not a fixed path or a set of rules but rather an ever-changing, spontaneous flow that governs everything. The idea is that everything in existence moves according to the Dao, whether we recognize it or not.

To “live in harmony with the Dao” means aligning oneself with this natural flow rather than resisting it

Acting effortlessly and spontaneously allowing things to unfold naturally.

Recognizing that control is often an illusion and that forcing outcomes can lead to disharmony.

A common metaphor is water: it flows naturally, takes the shape of its surroundings, and carves through rock over time—not by force, but by persistence and adaptability.

Question 3

whats legalism

Answer 3

Humans are naturally selfish and require strict laws and punishments.

Question 4

when was the formative era

Answer 4

early chinese civilisation to the unification of china under the qin dynasty

Question 5

what was something that confucious believed about the law

Answer 5

any attempt to govern through regulations/restrictions/punishments would only make people evade the law, but if you led by proper ritual and moral force, people would spontaneously correct themselves

Question 6

what is moral force

Answer 6

Moral force is a positive influence that motivates people to act in a way that upholds justice and truth

Question 7

what kind of teacher was confucious

Answer 7

wandering teacher

Question 8

what time period did confucious live in

Answer 8

warring states period

Question 9

what was the confucious social order

Answer 9

centered on relationships, and in particular “five key relationships”. Importantly, these relationships were generally unequal but complementary, which means that they worked in harmony
[^2] . Fathers were above sons, husbands above wives, older siblings above younger ones, and rulers above their subjects. (One relationship—friend to friend—was not unequal). Because, in general, one side had more power, that side had to behave morally, with concern for the other side. This would then help the inferior person in the relationship obey and respect the superior. Though it sounds contradictory, the unequal relationships were meant to create balance and harmony

Question 10

name all chinese dynast