Eurasian Cultural

Traditions
500 BCE to 500 CE
Chapter 5
AP World History Notes
China and the Search for Order
 Belief systems
A combination of ideas, values,
and practices that serve a
society's cultural needs. Belief
systems include all religions, as
well as philosophical, ethical, and
moral systems.
 The State of China
Chaos
Growing violence
Disharmony and disunity
Age of Warring States
These issues led many to find solutions
to Chinas problems
 The Legalist Answer
Founder of Legalism = Han
Fei
Legalists viewed humans as
inherently stupid and immoral
Legalists believed in rules
and laws that were strict,
clearly spelled out, and
enforced through a system of
rewards and punishments
 The Legalist Answer
Legalism = used by
Emperor Qin
Shihuangdi during the
Qin Dynasty to
restore unity and
order to China
 The Confucian Answer
Confucius = from an
aristocratic family in
northern China
Became a teacher
Believed in ethics =
good conduct and
moral judgment
 The Analects
A short book of the
teachings of
Confucius
Compiled by his
students after his
death
 The Confucian Answer
The moral example of superiors
Relied on unequal relationships within
society
Ruler over subject
Parent over child
Husband over wife
Old over young
 Emphasis on Filial Piety
Filial piety =
respect for ones
elders and
ancestors
 Civil Service Exams
Confucianism = incorporated into
Chinas civil service exams during the
Han Dynasty
Chinese men had to apply Confucian
values to specific situations in these
tests
 The Daoist Answer
Founder = Laozi
Focus of Daoism =
living in harmony
with nature
Urges withdrawal
from society and
entrance into a
world of nature
 The Dao
The Way
Universal force
that guides all
things
Yin and Yang
2 opposing forces present
in all of nature
YIN = cool, dark, female,
submissive
YANG = warm, light, male,
aggressive