HISTORY
ANCIENT CHINA
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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the best government is the one that governs the least
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order is achieved through harsh laws and punishments
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power should be shared among the people
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government is the cause of many problems
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Detailed explanation-1: -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). Legalist philosophers thus created a system of punishment and reward for certain behaviors.
Detailed explanation-2: -Founder of legalism and believed that severe punishments were the only way to control people.-The Code of Law must be drafted and published. Laws should always be more important than individual interests and actions. All persons are considered equal before the law.
Detailed explanation-3: -How did his Legalist beliefs affect these laws? The Emperor of Qin created a unified set of laws because they needed the same set of money, writing, and others to be able to really unify. These laws were affected because he wanted everything harsh and painful.
Detailed explanation-4: -Legalists believed that a highly efficient and powerful government was the key to restoring order in society.
Detailed explanation-5: -Legalists also believed that to be most effective, rulers must never demonstrate or give in to feelings of affection or charity. Above all, Han Fei said, rulers should trust no one, including their own families, because “he who trusts others will be controlled by others.
Detailed explanation-6: -But let’s rewind the tape to about a century and a half earlier to understand a key influence on the Qin Dynasty: Legalism. Legalism promotes the notion of strict law and order and harsh, collective punishments, ideas that influenced Qin Shi Huangdi’s despotism and centralized rule.