Final answer:
Emperor Qin Shi Huang targeted scholars and their works because he saw them as a threat to his authority and sought to eliminate any potential sources of dissent or criticism, aligning with Legalist doctrine.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emperor Qin Shi Huang, swayed by Legalist doctrines, viewed scholars as a potential threat to his regime. According to Legalism, authority and control were paramount, and only the emperor could dictate what was considered right or wrong. Fearful that scholars could use past teachings to criticize his governance, Qin pursued them aggressively. Historian Charles Sanft suggested that Qin not only suppressed certain knowledge but also aimed to create new knowledge to foster cooperation under his centralized authority. Thus, at the advice of Li Si, Qin ordered the burning of books and the execution of scholars, specifically targeting works that could be used to challenge his rule. Agricultural and medicinal texts, as well as imperial records, were spared to serve practical purposes and to maintain the emperor's hold over intellectual discourse. It was a strategic move aimed at eliminating dissent and criticism, effectively removing any moral or philosophical grounds from which the emperor could be contested.