Why Has the Influence of Confucian and Daoist Thought Been So Profound and So Long-Lasting in China?

Abstract

In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods apart from Confucius and Laozi, many other schools of thought—such as Guanzi, Mencius, Xunzi, Lord Shang Yang, Hanfei, Song Xing, Yin Wen, and Mozi—each had their systems of thought. From the Qin-Han period onward, owing to the selective process of history, only Confucianism and Daoism retained a long-lasting influence.