The words "Chinese philosophy" often conjure up images of dragons and Buddhas, yins and yangs and other esoteric symbols. Eastern thinking is seen by many as mysterious, inscrutible to the "Western" mind.
...this site
was created by me to clear up some of that strange fog which seems to drift around "Chinese philosophy". It's not meant to be a comprehensive guide to all aspects of Chinese philosophy, but it does cover the major schools of thought which have had the greatest impact on Chinese culture: Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism.
Setting the scene
Amazingly, these three major schools of thought all originated in one 200-year period of time, the Warring States period of Chinese history. The Warring States period lasted from 403 B.C. to 221 B.C. and can be considered the Dark Age of China. There was no "China" but rather a collection of warlord-ruled provinces all vying with each other for power and territory.
Life during the Warring States period was harsh and chaotic. The people longed for the peaceful days of the Zhou Dynasty, which had preceded the Warring States period. As a result, the great minds of the time focused their energies on regaining peace and stability in China. Their efforts culminated in various philosophies, which were mainly blueprints for government which would hopefully bring the land out of chaos and back under a stable, unified rule. The Three Schools below are the ones which ended up having the most impact on Chinese culture and history.
