Yangism (Chinese:楊朱學派;pinyin:Yángzhūxuépài) was a philosophical school founded byYang Zhu, extant during theWarring States period (475 BCE – 221 BCE), that believed that human actions are and should be based onself-interest. The school has been described bysinologists as an early form ofpsychological andethical egoism.[1] The main focus of the Yangists was on the concept ofxing (性), or human nature,[1] a term later incorporated byMencius intoConfucianism.
No documents directly authored by the Yangists have been discovered yet, and all that is known of the school comes from the comments of rival philosophers, specifically in the Chinese textsHuainanzi,Lüshi Chunqiu,Mengzi, and possibly theLiezi andZhuangzi.[2] The philosopherMencius claimed that Yangism once rivaledConfucianism andMohism, although the veracity of this claim remains controversial among sinologists.[3] Because Yangism had largely faded into obscurity by the time thatSima Qian compiled hisShiji, the school was not included as one of theHundred Schools of Thought.
"What Yang Zhu was for was self. If by plucking one hair he might benefit the whole world, he would not do it."[a][4]
Yangism has been described as a form of psychological andethical egoism.[1] The Yangist philosophers believed in the importance of maintainingself-interest through "keeping one's nature intact, protecting one's uniqueness, and not letting the body be tied by other things."[5] Disagreeing with the Confucian virtues ofli (propriety),ren (humaneness), andyi (righteousness) and theLegalist virtue offa (law), the Yangists sawwei wo (為我), or "[everything] for myself", as the only virtue necessary for self-cultivation.[6] Individual pleasure is considered desirable, like inhedonism, but not at the expense of the health of individual.[7] The Yangists saw individual well-being as the prime purpose of life, and considered anything that hindered that well-being immoral and unnecessary.[7]
The main focus of the Yangists was on the concept ofxing, or human nature,[1] a term later incorporated byMencius intoConfucianism. Thexing, according to sinologistA. C. Graham, is a person's "proper course of development" in life. Individuals can only rationally care for their ownxing, and should not naively have to support thexing of other people, even if it means opposing the emperor.[5] In this sense, Yangism is a "direct attack" on Confucianism, by implying that the power of the emperor, defended in Confucianism, is baseless and destructive, and thatstate intervention is morally flawed.[5]
The Confucian philosopherMencius depicts Yangism as the direct opposite ofMohism, while Mohism promotes the idea of universal love and impartial caring, the Yangists acted only "for themselves", rejecting thealtruism of Mohism.[8]
Mencius additionally criticized the Yangists as selfish, ignoring the duty of serving the public and caring only for personal concerns.[7] Mencius saw Confucianism as the "Middle Way" between Mohism and Yangism.[3]
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Mencius incorporated the Yangist concept ofxing into his own philosophy. Some sinologists have argued that Yangism influencedTaoism, and can be seen as a "precursor" to later Taoist beliefs.[7]
"Yangzhu's own way has been described as psychological egoism (humans are in fact motivated only by self-interest), ethical egoism (humans should do only what is in their own self-interest), or primativism (humans should only do what is in the interest of themselves and their immediate family
"there is little evidence that Yangist teachings were influential during Mencius's time, and this has led some scholars to suggest that Mencius exaggerated the movement's influence
