Legalism and Confucianism in the Han Dyansty - 1670 Words

The idea of ruling a powerful government based on the principle of using two conflicting ideologies at the same time appeared foreign to most dynasties of early China. In early Chinese times, after the Period of the Warring States, two ideologies emerged: Legalism and Confucianism. Legalism stressed a strong central government that expressed harsh laws while Confucianism had a decentralized government, placing trust in conscientious and learned individuals to work together to solve political issues. These two schools of thought were in stark contrast to each other and, up until the Han dynasty, had never been combined with each other through government policy. The Qin dynasty, for example implemented a strict Legalist government while the†¦show more content†¦Emperor Wu also issued taxes on industries and agriculture while monopolizing the production of goods such as salt and iron. The salt and iron monopoly angered many Confucians and other progressive thinkers as they argu ed that the government should stay out of the market and have a laissez faire approach. This conflict of beliefs led to the â€Å"Debate on Salt and Iron†, a debate between Confucian scholars and a minister for the Han government. This debate showed much improvement from the policies of the Qin government because, as opposed to Qin Shihuangdi who burned most Confucian literature, the Han government was able to hear what the learned men had to say. The minister defended the government’s Legalist actions by insisting, â€Å"I again assert that to do away with the salt and iron monopolies and equitable marketing system would bring havoc to our frontier military policies and would be heartless toward those on the frontier† (â€Å"The Debate on Salt and Iron†, 176). The minister argued that without the revenue coming in from the salt and iron monopolies, there would be no money to fund an army and defend the state. While the minister was correct in stressing t he importance of the monopolies for government revenue, the government recognized the need for Confucius ideas and scholars within their government. Although the Han dynasty held up under a Legalist-based government, it was