WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Shi Huangdi turned away from these teachings He took up another school of thought, called Legalism. Legalists believed that people were driven by self-interest. They believed that to be good members of society, people had to be controlled by a strong ruler, strict laws, and harsh punishments.

Detailed explanation-2: -Legalism is based on the viewpoint that in order for a ruler to maintain order in society, people must obey a set of strict laws and those in authority (the rulers and government officials).

Detailed explanation-3: -Legalism became the official philosophy of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) when the first emperor of China, Shi Huangdi (r. 221-210 BCE), rose to power and banned all other philosophies as a corrupting influence.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Legalists advocated government by a system of laws that rigidly prescribed punishments and rewards for specific behaviours. They stressed the direction of all human activity toward the goal of increasing the power of the ruler and the state.

Detailed explanation-5: -Following the precedent of the Han Feizi (c. 240 BC), the more prominent Warring States period figures Shen Buhai (400–337 BC) and Shang Yang (390–338 BC) would commonly be taken as its actual “founders."

Detailed explanation-6: -Legalists believed that strength, not goodness was a ruler’s greatest virtue. Han Fei Tzu thought that because people could not be trusted, a strong government was needed to make them act as they should.