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Confucius (551-479 B.C.) may be best be described as the great benevolent sage who expected men to be led by gentleness. Such was the principle he saw expressed in the nature of man; although, he never actually spoke of it as such. Mencius (390-305 B.C.) built on this foundation. A modern scholar, Michael Billington, wrote: "Mencius had emphasized that man is born Good, reflecting the highest Good of God, and that this was the primary truth of mankind, without which nothing could be understood." As might be expected, this ideology did not sit well with any would-be despotic ruler. Michael Billington continues: "Throughout Chinese history, those who wished to justify evil, those who wished to justify tyranny, argued against Mencius on precisely this point."*(Towards Ecumenical Unity of East and West - Michael O. Billington {Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand 1967-71 - written in prison} - Fidelio Magazine, Summer 1993) Thus, a counter-ideology was born that would become known as "legalism" which supported the legality of the idea of the divine right of kings, or more precisely, the arbitrary whim of dictators.
Legalism has its own historic chain of philosophic supporters, such as Shang Yang (390-338 B.C.), Hsun Tze (approximately 260 B.C.), and Han Fei Tze (approximately 233 B.C.). It had its most pronounced expression, perhaps, in the rule of Qin Shihuangdi, the great conqueror/unifier but ruthless emperor, who tolerated no ideological opposition, who murdered the scholars of Confucius and destroyed their books. Mao Zedong admired Qin. He became his mentor. It is said that he was proud of the fact that while Qin exterminated 460 opposing scholars, he had done away with 46,000.
Legalism has its roots in the Tao ideology of Lao-tzu (500 B.C.) and Shoung Shi (369-286 B.C.) The Tao (the way) ideology, itself has three sub-cultures: the "Wu Wei" (no action) philosophy, the "Yin Yang" (contrasting opposites), and the Buddhist philosophy, that may be described in the developmental sense, as creative emptiness.
The no action concept is structured around the supposed futility of taking action in order to shape the destiny of mankind or the world. One finds a veiled reflection of this philosophy in the type of environmentalism that opposes all changes, even those that would uplift the lives of countless millions. The Yin Yang philosophy sees a balance in all things, so that good stands in contrast to evil. This philosophy would make both, evil and good, natural, thereby closing the door on hope and the perfectibility of man and civilization. The Buddhist philosophy can also be defined as antidevelopment oriented. It is profoundly meditative and represents a broad range of mythical inward looking systems that involve a withdrawal from reality.
Budhism is championed in the West. This is evidently done in support of imperial goals, but also has a natural component as there is a similar withdrawal from reality occurring in the western financial world, political world, and scientific world. The mythical withdrawal in Buddhist meditation for 'enlightenment' and the development of the 'human spirit,' has nothing in common with Plato's philosophy of scientific pursuit for clear systematic understanding, even technological application of this understanding for improving and supporting life, which the application of intelligence aims to raise to a higher level. Buddhism follows to some degree that cultured emptiness in the mind that is characteristic of Lao-tzu, the guru of Taoism, and Mao Zedong who became the greatest disciple of it.
Lao-tzu said: "That which is looked at but not seen is said to be invisible... and can never be fully understood by investigation." Michael Billington comments, that by this concept "man is immediately reduced to a grovelling beast, incapable of understanding anything beyond the mere appearance of things. . . . What Plato knew to be only the 'shadows' of reality are to the Taoists the limit of our intelligibility."*(as above.)
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