Life in Ancient ChinaLife in Ancient China

Chapter 5

Section 2

Did You Know?Did You Know?

• Daoists believe the only acceptable time to inflict harm on another living creature is in self-defense.

Life in Ancient ChinaLife in Ancient China• A social class includes individuals who share a similar position

in society.• Chinese society had three main social classes:

• Aristocrats, farmer, and merchants. Aristocrats: grew rich from farmers who grew crops on the land the aristocrats

owned. Most Chinese people were farmers. Farmers paid aristocrats with part of their

crops. Merchants were the lowest class.

Although they grew rich, they were still looked down on by aristocrats and farmers.

• Chinese families were large, and children were expected to work on farms.

• Filial piety: Children had to respect parents and elders.

• Men’s jobs were considered more important than women’s jobs in wars.• Men went to school, ran the government, and fought wars.• Women could not hold government offices but could influences decisions of

their husbands.

Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question

• How did aristocrats use farmers to grow rich?• Aristocrats allowed farmers to use their land. In

exchange, farmers gave part of their crop to the landowners.

Chinese ThinkersChinese Thinkers

• Three major theories: Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism; were developed to reinstate peace after the Period of the Warring States.

• Confucius: was a great thinker and teacher who believed that people needed a sense of duty to be good.• Duty meant that a person must put the needs of family and

community before his or her own needs. • Confucianism taught that all men with a talent for government

should take part in government.

• Daoism: teaches that people should give up worldly desires and encourages the importance of nature. Daoism was created by the scholar and teacher Laozi.

• Legalism: is the belief that society needs a system of harsh laws and punishments.• The scholar Hanfeizi developed Legalism.

Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question

• Why did the aristocrats dislike Confucianism?

• According to Confucianism, any man with a talent for government should take part in government. This idea opened government up to the lower classes.