A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought)

Gadel Education:
World Religions Series
A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief
Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism
(The Three Schools of Thought)
!1
(Full Instructor script for slideshow presentation, with visuals and point-by-point explanations)
By Cara Gadel

World Religions Series:
A Basic Survey in the Belief Systems
of Major World Civilizations
!2
Presents:
Gadel Education
A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief
Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism
(The Three Schools of Thought)
(Full Instructor script for slideshow presentation, with visuals and point-by-point explanations)
By Cara Gadel

!4
Full Script Ebook

Available on line!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/
B07QKL2ML4/ref=sr_1_4?
keywords=cara+gadel&qid=1555017741&s
=gateway&sr=8-4-spell

Chinese Belief Systems:
The Han Synthesis & The Three Schools of Thought:
Legalism, Taoism, Confucianism
• The social, political, cultural, and economic system of China has been
heavily influenced by a synthesis of three main schools of thought for
several thousand years:

• Confucianism

• Taoism

• Legalism
!5

Confucianism
“Black Confucian Symbol. Author: Nyo, 25
November 2007. This work has been released into
the public domain by its author, Nyo. This applies
worldwide. ” Citation information and licensing
information/permission for use of images was
copied from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Black_Confucian_symbol.PNG
“The teaching Confucius. Portrait by Wu Daozi, 685-758, Tang Dynasty. Source: https://
i.pinimg.com/originals/77/95/19/7795198cc338e4642d2ce7ac965458b2.jpg, Author: Wu
Daozi, 685-758, Tang Dynasty. This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-
dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for
the following reason: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other
countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or less.
PD-Art (PD-old-100) .” Citation information and licensing information/permission for use
of images was copied from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Confucius_Tang_Dynasty.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Confucius 551 - 479 BCE
!6

Taoism
“Yin and Yang. Author: Klem 7 December 2007. I, the
copyright holder of this work, release this work into
the public domain. This applies worldwide.

In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:

I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose,
without any conditions, unless such conditions are required
by law. For countries with laws of copyright eligibility This
file is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public
domain because it consists entirely of information that
is common property and contains no original
authorship.This work is in the public domain in its country
of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright
term is the author's life plus 100 years or less. PD-Art, PD
Art Old 100, CC-PD-Mark." Citation information and
licensing information/permission for use of images was
copied from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Yin_and_Yang.svg
“Laozi Riding an Ox by Zhang Lu Source: http://tech2.npm.gov.tw/
cheschool/zh-tw/index.aspx?content=e_1_58, Date: Ming dynasty
(1368–1644) This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-
dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in
the public domain for the following reason:The author died in 1538,
so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and
other countries and areas where the copyright term is the
author's life plus 100 years or less. PD-old-100PD-Art (PD-old-
auto) .” Citation information and licensing information/permission
for use of images was copied from https://
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zhang_Lu-
Laozi_Riding_an_Ox.jpg
Laozi
!7
Yin/Yang

Legalism
Qin Shihuangdi
“A portrait painting of Qin Shi Huangdi, first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, from an 18th-century album of Chinese
emperor's portraits.. Source: 18th century album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinese historical notes.
British Library. Ca 18th century. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and
areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or less. CC-PD-Mark ” Citation information and
licensing information/permission for use of images was copied from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Qin_shihuangdi_c01s06i06.jpg
!8

Confucianism
• Confucius (551-479 BCE):

• lived during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BCE - 745 BCE)

• during the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE - 256 BCE).

• constant warfare and wanted to solve the problem

• became the greatest teacher known to China and perhaps the
world.
!9

Confucianism: Education
• Lasting influence of Confucius:

• education plays a central role in Chinese civilization
!10

Confucianism: Bureaucracy
• education as a central virtue

• scholar-gentry/bureaucracy: well-trained men
!11

Confucianism: Dignity
• emphasis on the dignity of the individual: face-saving
!12

Confucianism:
Hierarchy is natural
• The Five Relationships:

• Ruler to Subject

• Husband to Wife

• Father to Son (Parent to Child)

• Older Brother to Younger Brother (Older Sibling to Younger Sibling)

• Teacher to Student and/or Older Friend to Younger Friend
!13

Confucianism:
Harmony & Balance
• Tien-Tao —> The Way of Heaven —> emphasis on harmony and balance
!14

Taoism/Daoism
• non-theistic philosophical form

• highly ritualistic religious form

• “Let the current flow”

• Inaction

• Tien-Tao —> harmony & balance
!15

Legalism
• Qin Dynasty, Warring States period, Qin Shihuangdi

• a strict, harsh system of punishments and rewards

• meritocracy
!16

“禄 lù or ⼦子 zi symbol—red. By Aethelwolf Emsworth. 15 February 2014. I,
the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain.
This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible;
if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any
conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. ” Citation
information and licensing information/permission for use of images was
copied from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
%E7%A6%84_l%C3%B9_or_%E5%AD%90_zi_symbol---red.svg
!17

Ebook Available!
• The full script for this slideshow is available!

• Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/
B07QKL2ML4/ref=sr_1_4?
keywords=cara+gadel&qid=1555017741&s=gatew
ay&sr=8-4-spell

• This slideshow is part of a series, presenting a basic overview and, in some cases, some
basic history, of major world religions and belief systems.
• This slideshow presents the full script for the slideshow presentation, available at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QKL2ML4/ref=sr_1_4?
keywords=cara+gadel&qid=1555017741&s=gateway&sr=8-4-spell.
• The purpose of this series is to support an understanding of the development of major
belief systems and their impact on the development of world civilizations and history.
Thus, the purpose of this books is to provide a secular, academic overview of the
religions presented.
• The works in this series do not claim to represent the views of any major religious
institution, or religious individuals. The purpose of this series is not to provide religious
instruction in particular religious doctrines. This series may be suitable for those who
hold religious doctrines - any religious doctrine - and for those who hold none at all.
• The images in this series come primarily from the public domain and in all cases are
presented with citations. While organizations, individuals, and institutions have released
these images into the public domain or otherwise made them available for use, the
appearance of said images throughout the works in this series in no way suggests that
those organizations, individuals, or institutions endorse any of these works.
Copyright © 2019 Cara Gadel
!20

Note: Spelling Variations
• Spelling for terms from languages not typically spelled with the Latin
alphabet may vary and be used interchangeably. In many cases, there are
multiple accepted spellings for names and terms that come from
languages with other spelling systems.

• As a result, the works in this series may present one or more spelling
interchangeably, in order to help students get used to recognizing terms
that may be spelled differently, in different sources. In addition, readers
may find alternative spellings in other sources that are not part of this
series.
!21

• BC and AD are Christian terms. BC means “Before Christ.” “AD” means “anno domini,” which is Latin for “in the year of
Our Lord.” “AD” does not mean “After Death” since Christians believe that Jesus has eternal life.

• BCE and CE are secular terms that mean precisely the same thing that BC and AD do. “BCE” means “Before current/
common era” and dates given in “BCE” correspond exactly to dates given in “BC.” “CE” means “current/common era” and
dates given in “CE” correspond exactly to dates given in “AD.”

• The year “O” (i.e., “Zero”) stands for the year Jesus was traditionally believed to have been born. Today, modern scholars,
including religious Christian scholars, believe Jesus was probably born between 6-4 BCE.

• One year before O is 1 BCE. Two years before O is 2 BCE. The years are given from oldest to newest: 250BCE to 1 BCE,
with 250 BCE being the oldest and 1 BCE being the most recent. The years 99 BCE-0 BCE represent the first century BCE,
the years 199-100 BCE represent the second century BCE, and so on.

• One year after O is 1 CE. Two years after O is 2 CE. The years are given from oldest to newest: 1 CE to 250 CE, with 1 CE
being the oldest and 250 CE being the most recent. Generally, when no inidication of “BCE,” “BC,” “CE,” or “AD,” are
given, the date is understood to be given in CE/AD. The years 0-99 CE represent the first century CE (or simply, the first
century). The years 100-199 CE represent the second century (or simply, the second century).

BC or BCE &
CE or AD
!22

BC or BCE &
CE or AD
O
CE (Secular Dating Term)
AD (Christian Dating Term)
BCE (Secular Dating Term)
BC (Christian Dating Term)
50
2019
200
150
300
!23

!24
This series is for:
Students
• Secondary/high school or university students enrolled in any World or European
History course would benefit considerably from viewing the works in this series.

• Secondary/high school or home schooling students, in the US or abroad, who are
planning to take the AP, IBDP, or SAT II Subject exam may use these works to their
benefit. It is not necessary to enroll in an AP class to take the AP exam. Students
taking national exams pertaining to history in countries outside the US, such as A-
Levels, the Abitur, and Le Bac, may also be tested on this content.

• Having a clear concept of the belief systems for the regions and time periods you
study will have a significant impact on your understanding of the course content of
your history classes.

• Much of the content covered in this series will be reflected in some form on the
AP World History, AP European History, SAT World History, and IBDP exams,
national exams outside the US (A-Levels, Abitur, Le Bac, etc) and/or in any
university level course you take pertaining to these subjects.

!25
This series is for:
Instructors, Professionals, and Parents
• University and secondary/high school instructors of World or European History,
Philosophy, Religion, and/or certain Literature courses, especially those who
are new to the material may use these works to their benefit. Many of those
who are charged with the task of teaching about world belief systems have
never had a comprehensive course in this content themselves.

• Parents, who want to support students enrolled in a course in which this
content is relevant, including but not limited to courses pertaining to History,
Philosophy, and Religion, may use these works to their benefit.

• Professionals, such as those involved in diplomacy, or corporate expats,
whose work requires a deeper understanding of World History and/or of
Comparative Belief Systems, may use these works to their benefit.

• People who love to learn, especially those who want to know more about
global issues and connections among current events, may enjoy these works!

This series is for:
• Anyone who is interested in World History, and/or the history of Asia, the
Middle East, and/or the West.

• This series of books on World Religions focuses (primarily) on the major
belief systems - some of which might not necessarily fall under the
definition of “religion” - that have heavily influenced major world
civilizations.

• A basic understanding of these belief systems and their influence on the
political, social, cultural, and even economic structures is really pretty
central to developing a good grounding in the history of the regions in
which they were prevalent.
!26

Did you know?
• AP stands for Advanced Placement, and refers to university level courses taken in high
schools in the US and at international schools that provide an American curriculum.

• Students take AP exams in May. If they pass, depending on their score and their target
university’s policy, they receive university credit for the course - often a course required for
graduation at US universities. AP courses are popular because they can save students
thousands of dollars, and a lot of time.

• It is not necessary to enroll in an AP course in order to take the AP exam in May. Students
who home school, or who attend a school which does not offer a particular AP course, or
cannot fit the AP course into their schedule even when their school does offer it, can still
prepare on their own and take the exam through their local public school in the US.

• Students living outside the US may also have options to take the exam. Passing the exam
with a certain score - (regardless of whether or not one has completed the AP course, or one’s
grade in the course) - determines whether or not your target university will give you credit for
the course. If your target university gives you credit for the course and it is a course required
for graduation at that university, your successful completion of the AP exam counts in place of
having to enroll in the university level course - saving you thousands of dollars and valuable
time.
!27

Did you know?
• IBDP: IB stands for the International Baccalaureate Programme. IBDP (or
DP for short) stands for IB Diploma Programme and refers to 11th and
12th grade courses. MYP stands for Middle Years Programme and refers
to grades 7-10.

• Students who successfully complete DP exams in their field may, similarly
to successful AP students, exempt themselves from having to take the
courses as undergraduate students, thereby saving time and money.

• The IB Programme started in Switzerland and is popular in international
schools all over the world. It is also increasing in popularity in the US.
!28

Did you know?
• Students intending to apply to some particularly prestigious universities
will need to successfully complete at least one or two SAT subject exams.

• The World History SAT subject exam is a popular one, and this series of
books can help students perform well on it.
!29

• This presentation has been part of the Gadel Education series on World Religions. This
series includes:

• A Fascinating and Exciting Introduction to Studying World Religions: Basic
Concepts & Ideas

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Hinduism

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Buddhism

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism,
Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought)

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Judaism and Basic Jewish History

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Christianity (coming soon)

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Islam

• A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of New Religious Movements
!30

Citations
• Images in this series have been taken from the public domain, generally from Wikimedia
Commons.

• In every case, citations, links, other identifying information, and permission information are
included.

• Links to Creative Commons licenses:

• Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

• Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

• Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.5) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en



• GNU Free Documentation License:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License

• http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl.html

• Creative Commons Licenses indicate: “You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format,
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these
freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.” Please note links above for reference.
!32

Citations
• Citation information and licensing information/permission for use of
images was copied and pasted directly from the sites where image
sources were retrieved.

• The use of these images should not be seen as definitively representative
of, or endorsing, or endorsed by, any institutions, persons, or
organizations addressed in the works in this series.

• Free images from the public domain and or creative commons share/share
alike have been used throughout this book. Although in every case, the
author, artist, source, or organization has released the image for use, the
use of such images in any of the works in this series in no way indicates
endorsement of these works, or any of the information or claims herein, by
the individuals, institutions, or organizations who have given license to use
the images.
!33

A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought)

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought)

Similar to A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought) (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

A Fascinating and Exciting Overview of Chinese Belief Systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism (The Three Schools of Thought)