Confucianism In The Han Dynasty

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Between the Qin and the Han dynasty there was a transitional period of philosophy. Because of the legalist movement Confucian influence was greatly diminished and a synthesis of philosophies occurred. Over time Confucianism would return and take root in the Han Dynasty. But was this Confucianism the same that was experienced during the Zhou? Was the Confucian teachings impacted by the same synthesis that occurred after the fall of the Qin? The focus of this paper is to discuss the changes that occurred to Confucianism as a direct result of the Qin and how Han Confucianism differs from that of the Zhou. The Qin dynasty was undoubtedly the most ruthless period that China had ever experienced, but they had done something which no other…show more content…
The Confucianism was not the pure studies of Confucius, but a mixture of various other philosophies and superstitions to enhance the complex and inadequate teachings of Confucius. This changed the way that the empire was run. Before, emperors appointed people to positions regardless of their competence. Now, the emperors chose the people they thought were the best suited for the job based on merit. Written examinations were used to identify the best qualified people for the job. In the 2nd century B.C.E., an imperial university was established to teach students the five classics of the Confucian school to prepare them to become bureaucrats. This Confucianism allowed, on one hand, for flexibility between different ideologies and on the other hand it retained the power from the unification of thought by controlling the other doctrines. Confucianism during the Han transitioned from a moral based society to a more universal…show more content…
After the fall of the Qin, there was a gradual movement towards popularized philosophy which would eventually lead to a blending of teachings. For a short period Daoism was the main framework used with splashes of legalism, Confucian, and Mohist thought worked in. Gradually Confucianism took hold again in the Han, but it had clearly changed. The Confucianism of the Han was somewhat more receptive/open minded towards other philosophies. The Confucianism of the Zhou focused more on promotion based on virtue, whereas the Han was based on the sufficiently educated. Examinations and schools became the deciding factor on who would be in power. One would think that if Confucius had witnessed the changes to his philosophy, he would probably have replied that this is not
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