Yangism

E521695

Yangism is an ancient Chinese philosophical school, associated with the thinker Yang Zhu, that emphasizes radical individualism and self-preservation over social and moral obligations.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Chinese philosophical school
ancient philosophy
ethical theory
associatedWith Yang Zhu NERFINISHED
attitudeTowardFilialPiety seen as downplaying traditional filial duties
attitudeTowardRitual indifferent or critical toward Confucian ritual obligations
attitudeTowardUniversalLove rejects Mohist doctrine of universal love
classificationInScholarship often described as a form of psychological egoism
sometimes interpreted as ethical egoism
contrastsWith Confucianism NERFINISHED
Daoism NERFINISHED
Legalism NERFINISHED
Mohism NERFINISHED
corePrinciple egoism
radical individualism
self-preservation
countryOfOrigin China
culturalContext Hundred Schools of Thought NERFINISHED
deemphasizes moral obligations
social obligations
doctrineStatus original texts largely lost
emphasizes personal interest
self-concern
ethicalStance prioritization of individual life over collective demands
rejection of self-sacrifice for others
focusesOn personal well-being
value of individual life
historicalPeriod Warring States period NERFINISHED
historicalReception criticized by Confucian thinkers
criticized by Mohist thinkers
influenced later discussions of egoism in Chinese philosophy
influencedBy Yang Zhu NERFINISHED
pre-Qin Chinese thought
language Classical Chinese NERFINISHED
moralPriority preservation of one’s xing (nature) and sheng (life)
moralView each person should not harm their own body for others
namedAfter Yang Zhu NERFINISHED
ontologyOfSelf treats the self as primary locus of value
philosophicalDiscipline ethics
political philosophy
regardedAs heterodox school in early Chinese philosophy
region Ancient China NERFINISHED
sourceOfKnowledge secondary accounts in texts like the Mencius
temporalContext pre-imperial China
viewOnAltruism critical of excessive altruism
viewOnState suspicion of political authority

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mencius arguesAgainst Yangism