Legalistic Definition Government

Legalists believed that political institutions should be shaped in response to the realities of human behavior and that humans are inherently selfish and short-sighted. Thus, social harmony cannot be ensured by the recognition of the virtue of its ruler by the people, but only by strong state control and absolute obedience to authority. Legalists approved the government through a system of laws that imposed strict sanctions and rewards for certain behaviors. They emphasized the orientation of all human activities towards the goal of increasing the power of the ruler and the state. The brutal implementation of this policy by the authoritarian Qin dynasty led to the overthrow of that dynasty and the discrediting of legalistic philosophy in China. 101 Haviland Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article on legalism The three main commandments of these legalistic philosophers are the strict enforcement of widespread laws (fa), the application of management techniques such as responsibility (xingming) and “show nothing” (wuxian), and the manipulation of political buying (shi). Legalism, a school of Chinese philosophy that rose to prominence during the turbulent Warring States period (475-221 BC) and, through the influence of philosophers Shang Yang, Li Si and Hanfeizi, formed the ideological basis of China`s first imperial dynasty, the Qin (221-207 BC).