Legalsim in Ancient China
Legalism is not a Choice, It is a NecessityWhen a warring state is in chaos the only way to control it is to rule by striking fear in the hearts of your people through the distribution of harsh punishments. After your people are afraid, you can then gain their cooperation by giving generous rewards to those who follow your rule. By treating your people with this disregard, you are maintaining the main objective of legalism, looking out for the welfare of the state. I am a philosopher and advisor to the King of Zhao. He is worried that his country will rebel against him due to years of economic hardship. He has come to me because he would like to know how to stop this rebellion before it begins. I explained to the king that in harsh times, one must first use tyrannical power to force people into submission and cooperation. After cooperation is obtained, giving generous rewards for righteousness will ensure further cooperation. The result of this legalist approach is that, "Severe punishments would restrain violations, while generous rewards would encourage what was beneficial to the strength and well-being of the state(Sources,191)." I explained to his greatness that the legalist approach to maintaining
I advised the king that once an agricultural and military foundation is established, he could begin to transform his once chaotic kingdom into an unstoppable war machine. Not only do legalists need to treat humans this way but they also need to take count of many other things in their empire and consider them before making a strategic move. By understanding the legalist system of rewards and punishments, you are noting the core element of legalist theory, law. Law is a means of regulating the people to construct defenses, expand borders, and provide agriculture, the backbone of the state. The way to strive towards military supremacy and utilize the fullest potential of these tools of war is to maximize agriculture while minimizing other professions that involve brains instead of muscle. Remembering that the interests of the state are the main focus, one must realize that maximum military force is in the best interest of the state. The king then asked me what a war machine was. If an incident happens where a light reward is deserved and the person is rewarded lightly, then there will be many people encouraged to strive to be worthy of a serious reward. Law is the basis of legalist society. To use your people as "pawns" to strengthen the state you must issue orders assigning them jobs of agricultural work or military duty. "Agriculture, as the basis of the economy would be promoted intensively, while commerce and intellectual endeavor, regarded as nonessential and diversionary, [are] to be severely restricted. "The people will love their ruler and obey his commandments, even to death, if they are engaged in farming morning and evening; but they will be of no use if they see that glib-tongued, itinerant scholars succeed in being honored in serving the prince, the merchants succeed in enriching their families, and that artisans have plenty to live on. The way to do this is centered in the selection of punishments and rewards. As stated before and applying the same concept, people are content working in fields as they, in turn, are equally satisfied serving in the military.
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