Abstract
ABSTRACT Seligman (2020) hypothesized that individuals’ beliefs in Agency proximally cause progress and innovation. When agency is high, progress occurs, when low, stagnation. This seems to be true in the Greco-Roman epoch and we examined this in ancient China. The Shang (1600– 1046 BCE) devoutly followed the arbitrary will of gods and there was little progress. The Zhou (1045– 256 BCE) believed more in human agency and this was a time of progress. In the Axial Age (530 BCE－221 BCE), Confucianism emphasized human agency and progress was remarkable. In the first Imperial Age (221 BCE – 220 CE), when Legalism dominated, there was massive collective progress, followed by chaos. Eventually a hybrid of Legalism-Confucianism became the dominant ideology. Collective agency and individual agency were well-balanced, and there was considerable progress. We confirmed Seligman’s claim for Ancient China, but with the major addition of collective agency.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
