Exclusive Confucianism
"Exclusive Confucianism" was a historical Chinese policy promoting Confucianism at the expense of other schools of thought. Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty adopted it. He followed Dong Zhongshu's advice. This policy made Confucianism the main ideology and suppressed other schools of thought. The term first appeared in 1916. Yi Baisha wrote about it in "A Critique of Confucius."
The phrase is not in ancient Chinese texts. The "Book of Han" mentions Emperor Wu. It says he favored the Six Classics over other schools. Yi Baisha first used the phrase in 1916. He criticized the policy in "Youth Magazine." He said it controlled people using Confucius. Historians still debate this view.
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were important. Thinkers proposed various strategies. Legalism was popular. After the Han Dynasty began, older schools of thought returned. Confucianism and Taoism became popular again. Early Han rulers preferred Taoist ideas. They believed in ruling by non-action. The Han government became stronger after a rebellion. They needed a unified idea. Emperor Wu chose Confucianism. It became important in society, but his version of Confucianism was different. It included theological ideas.
Emperor Xuan favored legalistic governance. Some officials opposed this. Crown Prince Liu Shi believed in Confucianism. He disagreed with Emperor Xuan's methods.
Yi Baisha's view was once popular. It has been questioned since the 1970s. Historians debate Emperor Wu's promotion of Confucianism. They also discuss the nature of the policy. The academic community is divided. Textbooks in China have changed the phrase. It now says "Promoting Confucianism and Dismissing Other Schools."
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