Design Ideas Before the Qin Dynasty

Abstract

Dynastic rule in China before the unification brought about by the Qin emperors (221–206 BCE) was unstable and conflict-ridden. But out of this early period emerged the ideas and philosophies that dominated throughout pre-modern China, and which are still referenced today. Confucianism and Taoism together sought to identify the optimal relations between individuals, and between human beings and the natural world. In doing so they stressed the primacy of humanity over god-given determinants. This pre-Qin period saw the creation of a number of fundamental texts extending these arguments into the realm of crafts and manufacture: such texts have been repeated sources of reference through succeeding centuries. In examining design thinking during this early period, this chapter highlights bronze artefacts as particularly representative of design trends.