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500 BCE
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481 BCE - 221 BCE: Warring States Period in China, Legalism develops in response to the horrors of war.
338 BCE: Death of Shang Yang, early proponent of Legalist philosophy in China.
280 BCE - 233 BCE: Life of Han Feizi who developed Legalism in China.
213 BCE - 206 BCE: Qin Dynasty elevates Legalism as state philosophy and bans all others.
202 BCE - 220 CE: Han Dynasty under which Legalism relaxes.
141 BCE - 87 BCE: Han Emperor Wu abandons Legalism in favor of Confucianism.