Page 127 - 2022(1) International Confusion Studies

120 H. He

counselors. However, Mencius was simply extolling the virtues advocated by
previous dynasties, hence he failed to move with the times. With his disciple
Wan Zhang (万章 dates unknown), he retreated to write the prefaces for The Book
of Poetry (I诗J)and The Book of History (I书J), conveying Confucian teachings
and writing seven chapters of the book Mencius (I孟子J七篇)(Sima,1982b,
p. 2343).
In comparison with the Legalists (法家), Military Strategists (兵家), and
Political Strategists (纵横家), who were all highly regarded, Confucian
scholars were ignored. They could not even be compared with the School of
Yin-Yang (阴阳家). Its founder Zou Yan (邹衍 ca. 324 B.C.E.–ca. 250 B.C.E.) was
thus described: “Despite his ridiculous ideas, he was regarded highly in Qi, and
was welcomed in the suburbs by King Hui of Liang with rituals typically used to
honor a distinguished guest. When he arrived in the Zhao State, Lord Pingyuan
(平原君 ?–251 B.C.E.) walked by his side and personally cleaned his seat for him.
In the Yan State, King Zhao swept the road for him.”“He was respected so much
that neither Confucius nor Mencius could match him, for the former starved in
Chen and Cai states while the latter was stranded in Qi and Liang.” (Sima, 1982b,
p. 2345)
People who had been seeking fame and fortune out of Confucianism left
and turned to the political philosophy of Legalism. Han Fei (韩非 280 B.C.E.–
233 B.C.E.), together with Li Si (李斯 ?–208 B.C.E.), studied with Xun Kuang (荀况
313 B.C.E.–238 B.C.E.) (Sima, 1982a, p. 2146), he later established the Legalist
doctrine. The Qin State owed its strength to Shang Yang and Li Si, the former
had made the state prosper, and the latter helped the First Emperor (秦始皇
259 B.C.E.–210 B.C.E.) with national unification. Unfortunately, these two men
both met with tragic ends. During the Warring States Period, especially when
conflicts were ongoing, Confucian teachings remained dormant.
Confucianism had never advocated violence. We can imagine the social chaos
that confronted the righteous Confucians and how they must have felt. Righ-
teousness, harmony and benevolence were the main ideals of Confucianism. While
it was not possible for these virtues to resolve contemporary social problems, they
were able to help maintain permanent stability. In the Warring States Period, the
hereditary aristocracy was overthrown and, in the Qin Dynasty, a system of
centralized prefectures and counties was set up, in addition to a system of
administration. The doctrines of the Yellow Emperor (黄帝 legendary king in
ancient China) and Lao Zi (老子 dates unknown) were employed to revive society in
the early Western Han Dynasty, however, the guiding ideology that was eventually
adopted was Confucianism. In the 2000 or more years that followed, China’s socio-
political system took more from the Han than the Qin. During the Han Dynasty,
Confucius was held in high esteem and Confucianism was adopted and further