Final answer:
While initially influenced by Daoism under Empress Dou, Emperor Wudi's reign later saw the beginnings of Confucianism's influence on learning. He established schools for the elite and embraced a meritocratic approach that allowed learned individuals from common backgrounds to rise to high office. However, Wudi's focus on military expansion and economic monopolies often overshadowed consistent support for educational policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty was known for his military conquests and expansionist policies. However, he did have a significant impact on learning in his time, despite being influenced by different philosophies throughout his reign. Although early in Wudi's rule Empress Dou emphasized Daoism, later in his life, Confucian-oriented reforms emerged. Advisers like Dong Zhongshu and Jia Yi, although sometimes ignored, laid the foundation for Confucianism to flourish even if it wasn't during Wudi's initial rule. Wudi's reign, as it progressed, saw him ignore Dong Zhongshu's advice on supporting small families, yet ultimately, the influence of Confucian scholars had a lasting effect, embedding the need for a learned society.
Wudi was also responsible for the imperial sponsorship of education for the elite by constructing schools that provided education aligned with the Confucian classics. His domestic policies, although heavy-handed, did also give rise to a meritocratic system that allowed men of learning from ordinary backgrounds to rise to positions of prominence, thereby highlighting the value placed on learning and intellectual pursuit. While many of his actions suggest a backdrop of Confucian thought, his continuous military campaigns and establishment of monopolies reflect that practical statecraft and imperial expansion were often prioritized over ideological consistency in promoting learning.