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1、•••12•••LEGALISMTHELEGALISTSCHOOLwasthemostradicalofallancientChineseschools.ItrejectedthemoralstandardsoftheConfucianistsandthereligioussanctionoftheMoistsinfavorofpower.Itacceptednoau-thorityexceptthatoftherulerandlookedfornoprecedent.Itsaimwaspoliticalcontrolo
2、fthestateandthepopulation,acontroltobeachievedthroughanintensivesetoflaws,backedupbygenerousrewardsandseverepunishments.Accordingtotheirtheory,aggression,war,andregimentationwouldbeusedwithouthesitationsolongastheycon-tributedtothepoweroftheruler.Itcanbereadilyse
3、enthatLegalismisentirelyincompatiblewithotherschools,especiallyConfucianism,whichitbitterlyattacked.TheCon-fucianistswerededicatedtothecultivationofvirtue,thedevelopmentofindividualpersonality,governmentforthepeople,socialharmony,andtheuseofmoralprinciples,morale
4、xamples,andmoralpersuasion.Onthecontrary,theLegalistswereprimarilyinterestedintheaccumulationofpower,thesubjugationoftheindividualtothestate,uniformityofthought,andtheuseofforce.Itisnotsurprisingthattheywereinstru-mentalinsettingupthedictatorshipofCh'in(221-206B.
5、C.),inuni-fyingChinain221B.C.,andininstitutingthetightestregimentationoflifeandthoughtinChinesehistory.ThebrutalityandviolenceoftheCh'inbroughtitsearlydownfallin206B.C.,andtheChinese,fearfuloftheruthlessnessoftheLegalists,haveeversincethattimerejectedthem.Thereha
6、sbeennoLegalistSchoolinChinainthelasttwothousandyears,orevenanyLegalistscholarofanyprominence.WhentheSsu-k'uch'üan-shu(FourLi-braries)wascompiledlateintheeighteenthcentury,ofthe3,457worksincluded,onlyeightwereLegalist.Thetotalitariangoalandauthoritarianmethodspro
7、motedbytheLegalistshavebeenrevivedperiodicallybydespots,ofcourse.ButtherehasbeennocontinuousLegalisttraditioncomparabletothatoftheConfucianistsandTaoists.Itmightseem,therefore,thatLegalistphilosophywasentirelynegative.Suchhowever,isnotthecase,forithasitspositivea
8、spects.Itwastheonlyancientschoolthatwasconsistentlyandvigorouslyanti-ancient.Itworshipednosage-emperorslikeYaoandShun1oftheConfucianistsorGreatYü2oftheMoists.I
