THE GOLDEN ERA OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

 























Though China has a very long history, the main bulk of its intellectual tradition originated from its Classical Era of Chinese Philosophy which spanned between the 6th and 2nd Century BC.  This coincided with the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods when China reached its cultural and intellectual zenith.  Called the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought, the era saw free discussion and development of a broad range of philosophical thoughts and ideas which observers of present-day communist China would barely believe possible.

The 6 main Systems of Chinese Thought 

1. Confucianism

Confucius was inspired by the early Zhou Dynasty in his formulation of the ideal sociopolitical order based on established functions of government and a rigid social stratification of the people who are ruled by a virtuous ruler.  His ideal man is a gentleman guided by ethical values.  Though Confucius codified this system of thought, it was Mencius who synthesized and developed an applied version of it.

2. Taoism 

Attributed to a legendary Laozi and to Zhuangzi, this is a naturalistic philosophical system emphasizing an individual's harmony with the Universe.  It advocated a withdrawal from society and a preference for less dominance by the Government.

3. Legalism 

In developing Legalism, Han Feizi and Li Si's premise was that Man is fundamentally selfish and they therefore rejected the idea of intrinsic human goodness. An essential and rigid system of laws, strict enforcement and harsh punishments are thus necessary to preserve social order.  State power takes precedence over the welfare of the common people.

4. Mohism

Mozi's idea of the salvation of society by universal love and  mutually beneficial relationships among a citizenry of equals is the basis of his philosophy.  He believed in the predominance of empirical sensory evidence over abstract logic, advocated frugality and pacifism and had a distaste for meaningless rituals.  Heaven's will is to be carried out by virtuous leaders who achieve social objectives by uniting thought and action in their rule over an obedient population.

5. The School of Naturalists or Yin-yang

Zou Yan is the founder of this school of thought which attempts to synthesize the concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Yin which represents the dark, cold, female or negative force, and Yang which represents the light, hot, male or positive force are purportedly the two complementary basic forces of nature. The Five Elements consist of water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. Taoism's latter-day alchemy and magic inherited these ideas. These concepts also formed the basis of much of present-day Chinese medicine.

6. The School of Names or Logicians

An outgrowth of Mohism, this philosophy focuses on definition and logic. Said to be the Chinese equivalent to Greek sophistry and dialectic, its foremost practitioner was Gongsun Longzi.