Yes legalism is still around. It is seen today in China in many different aspects. An example of how it is still seen today is that when my parents were living in China they witnessed executions and other harsh punishments being placed on individuals. Legalism today is not the same as it once was as it has changed over the years.
Legalism is seen, to a lesser extent to what it once was, however in China the philosophy of legalism still exists in their governmental structure, political system and judicial systems. The government still inflicts judgement and punishment as it was in previous years however they do not hold as harsh of consequences as they once did.
For us living in the western world it is easy for us to look in and identify legalism within Chinese systems however for people living in China it is harder for them to see it at the same extent because this is what they have grown to know and they do not know other ways. Most Chinese citizens have limited access to outside information to compare their systems to other countries.
In China, you can still see the effects of legalism by the way we see how they respond to crimes. For example some of the punishment is stricter than we see in North America. Also, you can see the effects of legalism in China by the way the people respond to the government. Generally citizens in China fear the government because of the consequences that would be initiated if they disobey. For example when the students stood up against the government in Tianamen Square in 1989, the students were seen as rebels and attacked by the military, killed, thrown in prison and several had to flee the country.
Legalism is still prevalent today as seen through these examples that we have shared although it is not to the same extent as it was when it was first created in the warring states period.
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