The term Ancient Chinese Philosophy refers to the belief systems developed by various philosophers during the era known as the Hundred Schools of Thought when these thinkers formed their own schools during the Spring and Autumn Period (c. 772-476 BCE) and the Warring States Period (c. 481-221 BCE) after the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) had begun to decline.
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Definition
Timeline
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551 BCE - 479 BCELife of Confucius.
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c. 500 BCELife of the Chinese Relativist Philosopher Teng Shih (probable date of death 522 or 502 BCE).
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c. 500 BCEProbable life of the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, founder of Taoism and author of the Tao-Te-Ching.
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c. 500 BCEProbable life of Sun-Tzu, Military Strategist, author of The Art of War.
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470 BCE - 391 BCELife of the Chinese pacifist philosopher Mo Ti, founder of Mohism.
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440 BCE - 360 BCELife of Chinese Hedonist Philosopher Yang Zhu.
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372 BCE - 289 BCELife of the Confucian philosopher Mencius (Mang-Tze).
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c. 338 BCEDeath of Shang Yang, early proponent of Legalist philosophy in China.
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c. 280 BCE - c. 233 BCELife of Han Feizi who developed Legalism in China.
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221 BCE - 206 BCEAll philosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought outlawed, except for Legalism, under the Qin Dynasty.
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213 BCE - 206 BCEQin Dynasty elevates Legalism as state philosophy and bans all others.
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202 BCE - 9 CEPhilosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought revived under the Western Han Dynasty.
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141 BCE - 87 BCEReign of Wu the Great of the Han Dynasty; Confucianism becomes state philosophy.
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712 CE - 756 CETaoism becomes official religion of China under the Emperor Xuanzong.
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c. 756 CE - c. 907 CETaoism loses popular support with the decline of the Tang Dynasty. Replaced by Confucianism and Buddhism.
