The Effect of Belief Systems in China from 500bce to 500ce

Clarice Xu

Ancient China Essay

                                                 Effects of Culture  

      The Ancient Chinese have built a civilization that has lasted longer than any other in the world.  Between 500 BCE and 500 CE belief systems was the core of shaping the successful society of Ancient China. The culture created a government that was unified with the people. This type of stable government was provided by the ideas of The Mandate of Heaven, which granted the emperor the power to rule only if he rules justly along with the respect of his citizens, establishing unity between the people and the government. The two belief systems Confucianism and Daoism written by the philosophers Confucius and Laozi also kept order and unity among the society. Some might say the influence particular belief systems such as legalism did provide unity between the government and its citizens because its ideas about law created fairness among the citizens. However, although legalism did provide some unity between the government and its citizens, it was not as effective as Confucianism and Daoism making it last only a minor amount of time.  

         The basis for all culture, belief systems, and unity in the Ancient Chinese society was the concept of the Mandate of Heaven. This belief influenced a monarchal government, which was also unified with the people and provided a stable society for its citizens. Heaven gives the king a mandate to rule only as long as he rules in the interest of the people. This means that the rulers must be fair and honorable. If so, there would be unity and peace within the society. However, heaven can take the mandate away from an emperor that did not provide fairness and harmony between them and their citizens. In return to a fair emperor, the citizens must respect him and follow under his regard. If so, the society would be unified as a whole. A ruler would know if the Mandate of Heaven had been taken away, or he did not receive the Mandate because the country would be in turmoil and conflict (McKay 96). This could be seen after the Zhou Dynasty (1050-400 BCE) when the conflict between the government and citizens landed in the era of Warring States (McKay 101). Later, the Mandate of Heaven would be granted to a new individual that ruled justly and kept a strong government that was unified with its people.

Confucianism is a belief system that significantly impacted the government of China because the philosophies written by Confucius kept order and unity among the society. Confucianism introduced social order and respect for the citizens of Ancient China. Confucianism influenced a monarchy government. There subjected to be one key relationship in Ancient China, the emperor and the citizens of the society. There was great influence by this relationship to create a government that was unified with the people of China. In Confucianism, the king or emperor held the highest authority of the land. He was the top of society and was treated with complete respect. Much like the beliefs of The Mandate of Heaven, Confucianism states that with the respect of his citizens. The teachings of Confucianism not only shaped the relationship between the government and people but also provided unity between the citizens themselves

(Cristian). Confucius says that if everyone fulfilled his or her own purposes, it would allow the government to function stably. This would allow less conflict and more unity between people will different social statuses because they will acknowledge that they all depend upon each other. The community is an important concept in Confucius’s teaching, that as long as both the government and people work together to benefit each other, the society will be stable and there will be little conflict (Confucius 139). The Han dynasty is a prime example of the impact of Confucianism on the Ancient Chinese society. The Han Dynasty took place from 206 BCE – 220 CE and benefited from Confucianism because it influenced and established and effective government that was unified with its citizens. The establishment of Confucianism helped Han Wudi, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, to rule for 54 years making him one of the longest rules in China’s history (Confucianism Beliefs). Therefor Confucianism influenced an effective government that was unified with its people.

Daoist ideas on how the society should function revolved around the idea that the people should allow focused on unity within the citizens. Daoism can be seen as a response to Confucianism, in which both together created complete unity within the society. Some lower class citizens may not have supported Confucianism’s monarchist beliefs because it could provide disadvantages to them. However, the beliefs written by Laozi or Daoism allowed those people to accept the monarchy, which provided unity within the people of Ancient China (McKay 108). Daoism states that as long as you do your own work, the community will strive. “When your work is done, withdraw! (Laozi 145).” Striving for more than you receive is one of the main causes of conflict and is why the lower class citizens accepted their spot in the society. Instead, they strove for the improvement of the community instead of themselves that provided unity between them and the other citizens. In this way, rulers could progress to fulfill their own roles and duties to benefit the society because the beliefs of Daoism limited conflict between the citizens and the government. “We take advantage of what is, and should recognize the usefulness of what is not (Laozi 146). ”   With these ideas introduced by Daoism, citizens of Ancient China accepted their social place to allow unification between the government and the society.