Similarities Between Legalism And Confucianism

Confucianism was originated by Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, and was then championed by both Mencius and Xunzi. During the same time period roughly, Shang Yang and Shen Buhai developed a new ideological system known as Legalism. Both philosophies found popularity in ancient China, though they hold very different ideals. At first glance, the ancient Chinese philosophies Confucianism and Legalism seem to be polar opposites in regards to government, education, and social relationships. While this is true in many regards, a middle ground does exist in some aspects as both philosophies share a common belief in equality. One of many differences between the belief systems is their perception of human nature. According to Confucius, humans are born with naturally good intentions, but they can only be truly good through the learning of humaneness, rightness, ritual, and wisdom (Lecture 9/4). Mencius, a contemporary of Confucius, created a story to explain the natural goodness of humans (Lecture 9/9). He explains that if a child were to fall into a well, a human beings initial reaction would be to save the child (Lecture 9/9). Essentially, Mencius claims that, “All human beings have a mind that cannot bear to see the sufferings of …show more content…
“In their complete rejection of traditional ethical values, in their emphasis upon government by law rather than by personal example, and in their scorn for the ideals drawn from the past, the Legalists represent the antithesis of Confucian thinking” (de Bary 191). While this is true in regards to government, education, and social relations, the pervasive idea of equality is shown through both Confucianism and Legalism. The ability of the two philosophies to coexist in China for thousands of years demonstrates the power and success of each ideology individually, as well as the ability of the ideologies to adapt to changing governments and