TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS OF ANCIENT CHINA AND THE IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN THEM DURING THE PERIODS OF CHUNYU (VIII–V CENTURIES B.C.) AND ZHANGUO (V–III CENTURIES B.C.)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the traditional philosophical teachings of Ancient China and the ideological struggle between them during the periods of Chuntsu (VIII-V centuries BC) and Zhanguo (V-III centuries BC). For more than 2,000 years, China's history has been remarkably rich in various upheavals, but the country has consistently restored its state structure. The main ideological component of this structure was the powerful Confucian philosophy, which filled the life of the Chinese with spiritual culture, remaining the main factor of social stability. But before this spiritual system finally took shape and was accepted by the ruling circles of China as the dominant ideology, dozens of thinkers clashed in a fierce ideological struggle, and each proposed his own recipe for a better social order. Among them, the ideal pantheism of Lao Tzu should be highlighted first. An alternative version of the rule of the so-called “legalists” (most famously Shang Yang) was rallied around strict administrative regulation (fajia). Ancient Chinese political philosophy also included Mo Tzu's doctrine of «universal love». Reformed Confucianism completely rejected the original teachings of Confucius. It was based on the legalist principle of “rewards and punishments”, while maintaining the humanistic slogans of Confucius. The illusion of patriarchal authority caring for its people was combined with the principle of equal opportunity put forward by Mozi. This philosophy regulated all social relations, satisfying the interests of both higher and lower social strata, influencing Chinese society for many centuries.