Concept
Hundred Schools of Thought
Overview
The Hundred Schools of Thought (Chinese: 諸子百家) were philosophies and schools that flourished during the late Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period (c. 500 – 221 BC). The term was not used to describe these different philosophies until Confucianism, Mohism, and Legalism were created. The era in which they flourished was one of turbulence in China, fraught with chaos and mass militarization, but where Chinese philosophy was developed and patronized by competing bureaucracies. This phenomenon has been called the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought.
The philosophies that emerged during this period have profoundly influenced East Asian culture and societies. The intellectual landscape of this era was characterized by itinerant scholars, who were often employed by various state rulers as advisers on the way of government, war, and diplomacy. Often, members and traditions of the same school had little in common other than the same influential figure that their beliefs were based on. This period ended with the rise of the imperial Qin dynasty and the subsequent burning of books and burying of scholars as part of an ideological suppression effort by Qin Shi Huang and Li Si.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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But in the universities of Europe, where philosophy was taught only as subservient to theology, it was natural to dwell longer upon these two chapters than upon any other of the science. They were gradually more and more extended, and were divided into many inferior chapters; till at last the doctrine of spirits, of which so little can be known, came to take up as much room in the system of philosophy as the…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
States what Hundred Schools of Thought is.
The living head of the family pays due reverence to the countless ancestors who have preceded him. A witty Chinese writer once remarked that in the West family life only began after death—in the family vault. Here, at any rate, after years of separation and divided interests, the members met to enjoy a common oblivion. I cannot but think that there is some exaggeration in this; yet not even the greatest apologist of…
Confucius, The book of filial duty
The author is tied to Hundred Schools of Thought in the knowledge graph.
CHAP. I. The subjects of which the Master seldom spoke were-- profitableness, and also the appointments of Heaven, and perfect virtue. CHAP. II. 1. A man of the village of Ta-hsiang said, 'Great indeed is the philosopher K'ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any particular thing.' 2. The Master heard the observation, and said to his disciples, 'What shall I practise? Shall I…
Confucius, The Analects of Confucius
The author is tied to Hundred Schools of Thought in the knowledge graph.
Philosophers who discussed Hundred Schools of Thought
Related ideas
- Egalitarianism
- Empiricism
- Book of Han
- Yin and yang
- Individualism
- Spring and Autumn period
- Shiji
- Warring States period
- Mozi
- Mencius
- Gongsun Long
- Meritocracy
- Mohism
- School of thought
- Legalism (Chinese philosophy)
- Burning of books and burying of scholars
- Sima Qian
- Huangdi Neijing
- Abstraction
- Taoism
- Tao
- Mawangdui Silk Texts
- Yan (state)
- Shang Yang
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Outline of philosophy.
Narrower topics:
- Definition
- Lü Buwei
- Lüshi Chunqiu
- Shiji
- Sima Qian
- Sun Tzu
- The Art of War
- Sun Bin
- Zhan Guo Ce
- Li Kui (legalist)
- Frugality
- Shizi (book)
- Sun Bin's Art of War
- Nine Schools of Thought
- Bian Que
- Qibo
- Shanghan Lun
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