Legalism

E118155

Legalism is an ancient Chinese political philosophy that emphasizes strict laws, centralized authority, and harsh punishments as the primary means to maintain social order and strengthen the state.

All labels observed (6)

Label Occurrences
Legalism canonical 47
Legalist school 2
Legalist thought 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Chinese philosophy ⓘ
ancient Chinese ideology ⓘ
political philosophy ⓘ
school of thought ⓘ
advocates abolition of hereditary privileges ⓘ
agriculture and war as key state activities ⓘ
merit-based rewards for service to the state ⓘ
strict control of ministers ⓘ
uniform enforcement of law ⓘ
associatedWithRuler Qin Shi Huang ⓘ
contrastsWith Confucianism ⓘ
Daoism ⓘ
linked to: Taoism

Mohism ⓘ
coreConcept administrative techniques ⓘ
centralized authority ⓘ
collective order over individual rights ⓘ
harsh punishments ⓘ
political realism ⓘ
rule by law ⓘ
state power ⓘ
strict laws ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Ancient China ⓘ
criticizedFor authoritarianism ⓘ
harsh penal system ⓘ
downplays filial piety as political principle ⓘ
ritual and tradition ⓘ
emergedInPeriod Warring States period ⓘ
emphasizes codified laws ⓘ
control of the populace ⓘ
impersonal application of law ⓘ
punishment and reward system ⓘ
strengthening the state ⓘ
hasAlternativeName Fa school ⓘ
Fajia ⓘ
historicalImpact legal and administrative foundations of later dynasties ⓘ
unification of China under Qin ⓘ
influenced Qin dynasty political system ⓘ
imperial Chinese bureaucracy ⓘ
languageOfOrigin Classical Chinese ⓘ
majorText Book of Lord Shang ⓘ
Han Feizi ⓘ
linked to: Han Fei
majorThinker Han Fei ⓘ
Li Si ⓘ
Shang Yang ⓘ
opposes rule by moral virtue alone ⓘ
region East Asia ⓘ
viewOnHumanNature humans are selfish ⓘ
humans respond to incentives ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (54)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Confucianism → opposedBy → Legalism ⓘ
Qin dynasty → ideology → Legalism ⓘ
Lord Shang → influencedBy → Legalist tradition ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Qing Code → influencedBy → Legalism ⓘ
Chinese → traditionalPhilosophy → Legalism ⓘ
Eastern Zhou → religion → Legalism ⓘ
Qin Shi Huang → ideology → Legalism ⓘ
Li Si → movement → Legalism ⓘ
Qin law code → basedOn → Legalism ⓘ
State of Qin → dominantPhilosophy → Legalism ⓘ
subject linked to: state of Qin
Fajia → alsoKnownAs → Legalist school ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Fa school → mainNameInEnglish → Legalism ⓘ
Shang Yang → influencedBy → Legalist thought ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Han Fei → movement → Legalism ⓘ
Han Fei → philosophicalSchool → Legalism ⓘ
Yangism → contrastsWith → Legalism ⓘ
Xun Kuang → influenced → Legalist philosophy ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Xunzi → influencedTradition → Legalism ⓘ
subject linked to: Qing
Guan Zhong → influenced → Legalism ⓘ
Jixia Academy → influencedBy → Legalism ⓘ
Chao Cuo → movement → Legalism ⓘ
State of Qin → ideology → Legalism ⓘ
Mo Tzu → influenced → Legalism ⓘ
Shen Buhai → movement → Legalism (Chinese philosophy) ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Shen Buhai → philosophicalSchool → Legalist school ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Li Kui → movement → Legalism ⓘ
Li Kui → philosophicalSchool → Legalism ⓘ
Fa of Wei → hasLegalPhilosophy → Legalist thought ⓘ
linked to: Legalism
Zonghengjia → contrastedWith → Legalism ⓘ
Zhou royal house → influenced → Legalism ⓘ