Chinese philosophy originates in the
Spring and Autumn and
Warring States eras, during a period known as the "
Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and cultural developments. Although much of Chinese philosophy begins in the Warring States period, elements of Chinese philosophy have existed for several thousand years; some can be found in the
Yi Jing (the
Book of Changes), an ancient compendium of
divination, which dates back to at least 672 BCE. It was during the Warring States era that what
Sima Tan termed the major philosophical schools of China,
Confucianism,
Legalism, and
Daoism, arose, along with philosophies that later fell into obscurity, like
Agriculturalism,
Mohism,
Chinese Naturalism, and the
Logicians.