Three faces of imperial China

This study applies Karen Horney's personality concepts of aggressiveness, compliance and detachment to aspects of Chinese history. The philosophies of Legalism, Confucianism and Taoism were selected as examples of these three trends.;The conclusion is that the ideal political philosophy must include the best qualities of all three trends: aggressiveness, compliance and detachment.;Three emperors were studied--Ch'in Shih Huang-ti, T'ang T'ai-tsung and Sung Hui-tsung--as examples of rulers whose personalities were similar to the three types mentioned above and who strived to behave in accordance with Legalist, Confucian and Taoist principles respectively. The consequences to the people of these different styles of political rule were evaluated in their historical contexts.