WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Legalism holds that human beings are essentially bad because they are inherently selfish. No one, unless forced to, willingly sacrifices for another. According to the precepts of Legalism, if it is in one’s best interest to kill another person, that person will most probably be killed.

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). Legalist philosophers thus created a system of punishment and reward for certain behaviors.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -The founder of the Legalistic school was Hsün Tzu or Hsün-tzu. The most important principle in his thinking was that humans are inherently evil and inclined toward criminal and selfish behavior. Thus, if humans are allowed to engage in their natural proclivities, the result will be conflict and social disorder.

Detailed explanation-5: -Legalism, or Fajia, is one of the six classical schools of thought in Chinese philosophy.