Chinese Philosophy

Chinese philosophical thought has a long history dating back thousands of years. The most notable philosophies that have come out of China are Confucianism and Maoist Marxism. While they differ in many aspects, the prevailing theme of these two philosophies, and most other Chinese philosophies, is the importance of the family and social unit.

Ancient Philosophy

The basis of Chinese philosophy dates back to 1099 BCE. Under the rule of King Wen of Zhou, Yi Jing wrote the Book of Changes. The Book of Changes is a system of 64 hexograms that describe the divinity of action and teaches the reader to live a good life. This text evolved throughout the next eight centuries and had great influence on the whole of Chinese philosophy.

The pre-Socrates, Buddhist writings of Lao Tzu and the writings of Confucius, both appeared around the 6^th century BCE. Lao Tzu is considered to be the founder of Daoism and his writings in the Tao Te Ching are held in high regard by most Buddhists. Confucius, who lived around the same time as Lao Tzu, began the philosophical school of thought called Confucianism. His teachings dealt with everything from politics to sincerity, with a strong focus on family and structure. Confucianism and the later political philosophy, Legalism, helped create the first ideas of meritocracy, which deals with the individual’s status comparably to others in their community. The works of both Lao Tzu and Confucius are still very influential in China and throughout Asia.

Modern Philosophy

The modern age brought Western influences into China. There were many philosophical movements, like the May Fourth Movement, that tried to abolish the traditional philosophies and replace them with Western thought. Many other movements incorporated democracy, republicanism, and industrialism into existing Chinese philosophies. The most winning of these combinations was Mao Zedong’s blend of Marxism, Confucianism, and Taoism in order to create his own philosophy, Maoism.  While Moa Zedong was in control of the People’s Republic of China, he boasted Socialism with Chinese characteristics; there were strict policies against philosophical practices of Imperial China, as well as all Western thought.

Chinese philosophy prevails world over in the guise of New Age thought and New Confucianism. Though these ideas are not taken seriously by most Western academics, the philosophies are still influential in East Asia, South East Asia, and the United States.