Chapter IV, Confucianism, Rival Answers, Summary and Analysis

One idea put forward to rectify the social order of China was that of the Realists. In simple terms, the Realists believed that people were basically bad, greedy, nasty, and brutish. The Realists solution was to hit people with stringent laws and severe punishments. It involved an elaborate system of penalties and rewards in a system of laws that was lengthy and detailed. The Realists pointed out that an Enlightened Ruler would temper the laws so as not to become too strident. The low estimate of people by the Realists pointed out that people would feign moral attitudes when it appears to be in their self-interest to do so. Even countries might fall into that pattern of behavior. Furthermore, the Realists believed people in general were shortsighted and could not see the long-range...