Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronin4hire
Really? How so?
So Zen buddhism and Confucian thought would endorse a law which enabled Samurai to execute peasants who they deemed disrespectful?
Zen Buddhism and Confucian thought would endorse unquestioning loyalty to his master no matter what as well as a feudal caste system?
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It is that Bushido the product of Confucianism (more like neo-Confucianism) and Zen Buddhism. Both of them reinforce each other under the particular medieval Japanese political situation throughout a long span of history.
Particularly the Edo military governance is the pinnacle of Confucian style of rule.
Confucianism brings the social attitude; Zen Buddhism brings the philosophical contexts of why this Confucian social attitude is justified. Both are attentively look up the role and value of what is to be a samurai historically (the military people usurped the old imperial rule).
Confucianism is not about law; it's about man's merit of being worthy to rule a state or people. Hence, modern legalism in Confucian-cultured countries does not work well straightly. And it contributes the unusually bad ups-and-downs in East Asian politics.
Overall, it is just the social system at that time that influenced this style of rule.
I don't know if I answered your question well.