Between 500 and 200 B.C., toward the end of the Zhou dynasty, three major schools of thought about the nature of human beings and the universe emerged in China—Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. While Hinduism and Buddhism focused on freeing the human soul from the cycle of rebirth, Chinese philosophers were more concerned about the immediate world in which people lived and how to create a stable order in that world

Confucianism

Confucius was known to the Chinese as the First Teacher.  551-479 B.Crecorded his sayings in the Analects

Two elements stand out in the Confucian view of the Dao:

• duty - meant that all people had to subordinate their own interests to the broader needs of the family and the community
  • everyone should be governed by the Five Constant Relationships:
    1. parent and child - parents should be loving, and children should revere their parents
    2. husband and wife - husbands should fulfill his duties, and wives should be obedient
    3. older sibling and younger sibling - older sibling should be kind, and younger sibling should be respectful
    4. older friend and younger friend - older friend should be considerate, and younger friend should be deferential
    5. ruler and subject - ruler should be benevolent, and subjects should be loyal
  • duty is often expressed in the form of a “work ethic.” If each individual worked hard to fulfill his or her duties, then the affairs of society as a whole would prosper as well
• humanity - similar in some ways to Christian ideas but with a twist. Christians are taught, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Confucius would say, “Do not do unto others what you would not wish done to yourself.”

Daoism (Taoism)

Daoism was a system of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi

The chief ideas of Daoism are discussed in a short work known as Tao Te Ching (The Way of the Dao)

Daoism’s point of view is quite different from that of Confucianism. Followers of Confucius believe that it is the duty of human beings to work hard to improve life here on Earth. Daoists believe that the true way to follow the will of Heaven is not action but inaction

Legalism

Unlike Confucianism or Daoism, Legalism proposed that human beings were evil by nature

The Legalists believed that a strong ruler was required to create an orderly society. Confucius had said, “Lead the people by virtue and restrain them by the rules of good taste, and the people will have a sense of shame, and moreover will become good.” The Legalists did not believe this. To them, people were not capable of being good. Fear of harsh punishment would cause the common people to serve the interests of the ruler. The ruler did not have to show compassion for the needs of the people