Religion / idea · concept

Legalism

Also known as legalist

Legalism was a school of Chinese political thought emphasising strict laws, harsh punishments and strong central control as the basis of order. It underpinned the Qin state that unified China in 221 BCE. The Han Dynasty that followed rejected Qin harshness in name and promoted Confucianism, but retained many Legalist administrative practices.

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Han DynastyGovernanceState of QinImpact

Mentioned in 1 state history

State of Han

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Legalism. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/legalism
MLA
“Legalism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/legalism. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Legalism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/legalism.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Legalism’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/legalism (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻