Natalie Reisman 11/13/14 In the Qin Dynasty, emperor Shi Huangdi used a philosophy known as Legalism to govern China. Developed during the Period of Warring States as a possible solution to the conflict, the philosophy of Legalism stated that all people were naturally bad spirited and selfish, and therefore needed harsh laws to keep them in line (Legalism). The philosophy focused on three different aspects of what they believed would lead to a perfect society; Fu, or the law, Shi, which is control, and Shu, which are the ruler’s techniques (Legalism). The law existed for people of all ranks, meaning that even the emperor needed law to restrict his impulses. Under Legalism, all people were supposed to be treated
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This style of governing harshly punished people and ignited fear within the population. Legalism in the Qin dynasty placed all power on the law, and because the emperor was in charge of enforcing the law, all of the power was in his hands, resulting in a totalitarian regime that was very unpopular with the Chinese people (Legalism). Shi Huangdi moved all of the formerly powerful nobles to the capital city of Xianyang, ensuring that he could watch everything to prevent revolt (British Museum). The emperor also started many expensive government-run projects, which meant that the people had to be taxed more and more, especially for the creation of his palace and tomb (Qin Dynasty). Shi Huangdi was unpopular with the peasants; he made them pay high taxes and work long and hard on projects, such as the Great Wall (British Museum). Legalist leaders heavily regulated the media, and almost everything else, in Ancient China, burning books and scrolls, banning all other philosophies, and killing many government and philosophical opponents (Qin Dynasty). Perhaps the worst effect of Legalism was the high level of fear and intimidation it raised in the people. The extreme punishments, commonly death, showed the Chinese people to follow the law and blend in with society. Although these effects of Legalism in the Qin Dynasty seemed bad, even worse was that anyone who questioned the ruler could be executed (Legalism). However, Legalist rule did create many positive additions to China that would impact its history for years to come. Shi Huangdi divided the country into 36 districts and set government officials to govern each (British Museum). This unified China, while creating an organized system of ruling. Chinese writing and language, currency, weights, and measurements were all standardized under the Qin, making communication, trade, and everyday life easier (Qin Dynasty). The wheel
This style of governing harshly punished people and ignited fear within the population. Legalism in the Qin dynasty placed all power on the law, and because the emperor was in charge of enforcing the law, all of the power was in his hands, resulting in a totalitarian regime that was very unpopular with the Chinese people (Legalism). Shi Huangdi moved all of the formerly powerful nobles to the capital city of Xianyang, ensuring that he could watch everything to prevent revolt (British Museum). The emperor also started many expensive government-run projects, which meant that the people had to be taxed more and more, especially for the creation of his palace and tomb (Qin Dynasty). Shi Huangdi was unpopular with the peasants; he made them pay high taxes and work long and hard on projects, such as the Great Wall (British Museum). Legalist leaders heavily regulated the media, and almost everything else, in Ancient China, burning books and scrolls, banning all other philosophies, and killing many government and philosophical opponents (Qin Dynasty). Perhaps the worst effect of Legalism was the high level of fear and intimidation it raised in the people. The extreme punishments, commonly death, showed the Chinese people to follow the law and blend in with society. Although these effects of Legalism in the Qin Dynasty seemed bad, even worse was that anyone who questioned the ruler could be executed (Legalism). However, Legalist rule did create many positive additions to China that would impact its history for years to come. Shi Huangdi divided the country into 36 districts and set government officials to govern each (British Museum). This unified China, while creating an organized system of ruling. Chinese writing and language, currency, weights, and measurements were all standardized under the Qin, making communication, trade, and everyday life easier (Qin Dynasty). The wheel