Legalism in Imperial China
Legalism has no doubt been practised in China ever since the first Emperor Qin Shi Huang(Qing dynasty) ascended the throne in 259B.C. Legalism concentrates solely on state prosperity as well as survival. It emphasised on the totalitarian regimentation of the society which is rational, cynical and totally amoral.
However, the failure of Qing dynasty resulted in giving Legalism a bad reputation in traditional China. Yet Legalism does not deserved all the odium that has been heaped on it as its philosophy is no different from the view points of many modern managers and politicians today. The earlier philosophers of Legalism were Han Fei and Li Ssu who both studied under Hsun Tzu, the tough-minded authoritarian interpreter of Confucianism. Legalism emphasised on authority, administrative skills and law which forms the guiding principles for rulers and ministers.
Legalist attitude is that as society evolved, population grew larger and the need for goods exceed production. Hence, competition grew and the need for tighter control is needed. Legalist view is that governmental policies must always be adaptable so as to deal with these everchanging conditions that evolve over time.
However, while Legalism was the key to the establishment of the first dynasty in China, its harshness and unsentimental nature were deeply rejected by the people. The collapse of the Qing dynasty and Legalism praved the way for the practise of Confucianism under the Han dynasty. But in reality, Legalism did not disappear altogether, it merely became ‘hidden’ and integrated with Confucianism though the clever administrative skills of the Han rulers!
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