Moral Power: Just Warfare in Qin's Unification of China

This thesis reexamines the Qin dynasty’s unification of China by shifting focus from the widely acknowledged Legalist doctrines of the Shangjunshu to the understudied moral and philosophical contributions of the Lüshi chunqiu. While Legalist strategies enabled Qin’s early rise, their brutality alienated rival states and provoked widespread resistance. In response, Lü Buwei advanced a theory of “just warfare” (yi bing 義兵), grounded in moral power as the perception of ethical legitimacy and benevolence in state conduct. Through close readings of the Lüshi chunqiu and comparative analysis with the Wei Liaozi, this study argues that Lü Buwei redefined Qin’s military ethos through moral persuasion, using ethical rhetoric to frame warfare as a necessary and righteous instrument for justice and unity. The doctrine of yi bing offered both strategic and ideological justification for Qin’s later conquests, marking a pivotal transformation in early Chinese political thought and statecraft. By foregrounding this intellectual shift, the thesis offers a new perspective on the ethical dimensions of warfare in early China and the role of moral philosophy in imperial consolidation.