Civil Service Essay

Katrina Strauss
November 17, 2008

The civil service system in China was based on proving your merit and your capability of being a leader and an official. Candidates were given the civil service examination, which was based on Confucian ideas and by the Song dynasty it became just about the only means of drafting officials into the government. Neo-Confucianism said that the world was real and participation led to fulfillment. It also included the five levels of respect, which were extremely important. Another of its fundamentals was equality of opportunity. This also went into the civil service exam, because it let anyone take the exam, not just the rich and powerful. This meant that anyone had a fair chance of becoming an official. It meant that the capable, educated people would become officials as opposed the rich and powerful who got what they wanted because of who they knew. The rebirthing of this ancient philosophy had a stabilizing effect on the political system of China in the middle ages. When the qualified people were put in government, the government was fair and not prejudiced. This led to a fewer number of rebellions and protests, which led to a more stable and peaceful government which, in turn, led to a more peaceful and stable China.