How was the feudal rule in the Han Dynasty Positively Affected by Confucianism?

Abstract

As a mainstream school that has ruled Chinese society for thousands of years, Confucianism has been the topic of constant research in recent years. In the Han Dynasty, Confucianism gradually dominated and became the mainstream of ancient Chinese society, even profoundly influencing modern society. In this paper, the study of how Confucianism positively influenced imperial rule in the Han Dynasty will be based on the introduction of some core Confucian ideas, such as the idea of “Great unity” proposed by Dong Zhongshu in the Han Dynasty and the attitude of the Han government towards the promotion of Confucianism. This paper proves that a series of theories put forward by the Confucian scholars of the Han Dynasty led by Dong Zhongshu provided the rationality for the feudal rulers’ dictatorship. However, the vigorous promotion of Confucianism by the emperors and governments of the Han Dynasty unified the social ideology of the Han Dynasty to a large extent. Confucianism became the mainstream thought in the Han Dynasty because it complied with the dynasty’s changes and society’s development.