A belief in the need for a strong ruler, restrictive regulations, and harsh punishments was the foundation of the philosophy of Select one: a. Daoism. b. Tangism. c. Legalism. d. Huangism. e. Confucianism.

Answer: C. Legalism

Explanation: According to this doctrine, human nature as such is prone to make mistakes and negligence in adhering to some general moral principles, so it requires strong regulatory coercion. This coercion should control human behaviour through various regulations, punishments, strong rulers, in a word, for people to obey legal laws, that is, to abide by legalism. The reason for such an understanding of human nature is that humans are guided by their own self-interest and as such will always do bad rather than good. This doctrine was promoted in ancient China by rulers of the Qin and Han dynasties to justify the rule of their authoritarian rulers.