Ancient Chinese Philosophy
During the late Zhou period in China, people were developing ideas about karma, life, and man's connection to nature. The problem here was that people wanted solutions to the problems and disorder that was around them. There were four main ideas that came about to help people find help and solace to the craziness in their lives. These ideas are Confucianism, Mozi, Daoism, and Legalism. At a time of intellectual thought, these four ideas greatly affected China's society. Confucianism is the complex system of moral, social, political, and religious teaching created by Confucius on the ancient Chinese traditions. It aims at making not only a man of virtue, but a man of learning and of good manners. The perfect man must have the qualities of a saint, scholar, and gentleman. Confucius was born in 551 B.C. and from childhood he showed a great aptitude for study. In order to support himself and his mother, he had to work as a servant in a noble family. At twenty-two he opened a school to where his ability and faithful service promoted him to the office of minister of justice. Under his wise administration the State attained a degree of prosperity and moral order that it had never seen before. After resigning, he spent thirteen
Throughout Chinese history, people weary of social activism and aware of the fragility of human achievements would retire from the world and turn to nature. Third, the Legalists adopted Mo Tzu's ideas of uniform standardization of law and culture. Mozi is merely living one's life in accordance with heaven, regarding all humans as equal. In order to be effective, the law has to be uniformly applied; no one is to be punished more or less severely because of their social standing. Mencius argued that human nature is fundamentally good, because everyone is born with the capacity to recognize what is right and act on it. The order and harmony of nature was far more stable and enduring than either the power of the state or the civilized institutions constructed by human learning. Daoists were interested in health and vitality; they experimented with herbal medicine and pharmacology, greatly advancing these arts; they developed principles of macrobiotic cooking and other healthy diets; they developed systems of gymnastics and massage to keep the body strong and youthful. Mo Tzu despised Confucians, regarding them as uptight, egotistical, pretentious, and characterized by a mindless devotion to empty rituals. In their quest for uniform standards, there underwent a project of standardizing Chinese culture: the writing system, the monetary system, weights and measures, and the philosophical systems. This moral obligation to take care of fellow human beings applied to all human beings; you are responsible not only for your family and your friends, you are equally responsible for people you don't even know. The equality of humans before heaven mandated an overriding ethical principle for people to live by: universal love, to love every human being equally. It is partial love that is responsible for all the calamities that human beings suffer. When people live their lives in accordance with heaven, the world is ordered and peaceful; when they don't live their lives in accordance with heaven, the world becomes disorder, violent, and chaotic. years accompanied by faithful disciples, going from state to search in search of a ruler who would listen to his teachings. They might retreat to a countryside or mountain setting to commune with natural beauty.
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