Brutality of Perfectionism and the Perils of the Mandate of Heaven in Early Chinese Empires

February 21, 2019; Liang Cai (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)

Shang Yang and Han Feizi eloquently articulated the effectiveness of performance-based law and severe punishments. They asserted that heavy punishments aim to eliminate the need for further punishment, thereby creating a crime-free utopia. The Mandate of Heaven on the other hand was a dominant discourse that linked the legitimacy of the throne to the performance of the ruler and the prosperity of the empire. Both mandate of Heaven and performance-based law motivated emperors and officials to govern diligently. Conversely, poor performance not only lead criminalization of officials but also justified rebellion and the replacement of the imperial house by a new dynasty.

Liang Cai received her Ph.D. from Cornell University and currently serves as an associate professor of history at the University of Notre Dame. She specializes in Chinese political and intellectual history, with a focus on the Qin-Han dynasties. Her first book Witchcraft and the Rise of the First Confucian Empire contests long-standing claims that Confucianism came to prominence with the promotion of Emperor Wu in the Han dynasty. Dr. Cai’s publications cover topics such as Confucianism, bureaucracy, law, social networks, and archaeologically excavated manuscripts.