Answer:
The Zhou Dynasty collapsed slowly, over a period of hundreds of years, as the feudal rulers of outlying provinces gained more authority. Eventually, these states acquired more power than the king, beginning a period of conflict that is known, appropriately, as the Warring States Period. This period lasted from about 475 BCE to 221 BCE, when the western state of Qin conquered its neighbors and established the Qin Dynasty. Qin rule was the first time all of China had been united under an emperor.
Many philosophies about life and governance emerged during the Warring States Period. Three philosophies came to prominence: Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. These are covered in-depth later in "Philosophers of the Warring States," but for right now, let's sum them up this way:
Confucianism: Obeying your elders and social superiors is the utmost civic virtue; maintaining morality, respect, and activism is what keeps a society functioning.
Daoism: Human beings must obey the unyielding will of the universe, literally the dao—the way. Rather than involve themselves in the complex workings of the state, Daoists urged detachment, self-sufficiency, and deliberate ignorance of worldly things.
Legalism: The state's operations are more important than personal liberty, and adherence to the law is the most important thing. Apply and uphold the law by any means necessary.
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