The end of Chinese Thought

The development of Chinese thought is somewhat the story of a frustration. It emerged as an attempt to put an end to the endless war and chaos among the numerous Chinese states after the collapse of the Zhou dynasty and restore unity by pacific means but it was finally achieved through a bigger and more assertive use of violence.

Confucius compiled old dynasties documents and studied the ways and methods they used to keep the world together and ensured peace and order in the empire. He assumed the position of adviser for the rulers and offered them his teaching promising them that if they followed the rules in terms of etiquette and rituals according with a “natural” hierarchical system, order would be restored. On top of the hierarchical system is the emperor or Son of Heaven who should act with benevolence as guideline for all his decisions which shall all aim at his subject’s welfare. Mengzi was actually offered that chance and became a state adviser but nothing was achieved. He later complained that his advises were not heard or followed.

Taoists, however, as much as in Laozi as in Zhuangzi, were skeptical about the possibility of any good life in society, therefore they preached to flee from society returning to nature, or, if to avoid society was not possible, they should keep a low profile not getting involved in politics and hide from others. Taoism preached to fix our mind to the Tao and follow it in a search for immortality but also as the best way or technic to hide our self from other people`s understanding.

Mohism departing point was to stick to the Golden Rule as expressed by Confucius incorporated to his concept of “ren” or humanity:

“do to others what you want them to do to you”.

Mo purpose was to bring this basic principle to its systematization and proposed universal love or impartial care for mutual benefit defying Confucianism system based on the ruler benevolence. Mohists were outlaws but organized in well trained militias which would support the weak side against the stronger one as their way to show universal and impartial love.

Time passed by and war would not stop but increase and other thinkers, advisers, and philosophers were just serving the interests of the rulers by teaching them strategies or diplomacy in order to help them to achieve their particular goals for increasing power and no longer trying to unify the world or empire according to a concept valid for all.

Finally, the Legalist school applied many of the strategy schools methods into an integral organization of the estate Qin by applying deception and violence to make it stronger than all other states and achieved to conquer them and unify the world.

Despite Qin ruthless system and aggressions, the wish for unity in other state´s people mind might have played a role in facilitating Qin conquest. They were not able to react against Qin`s threat in a firm and concerted way. Some recent films as Hero or The Emperor and the Assassin, based on a real attempt to kill the Qin king referred by Han dynasty historian Sima Qian, show the doubts on the Assassin side about the convenience of killing the king; he was actually about to put in place what all philosophers had been for centuries looking for; the unification of the world as the realistic way of end with war.