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Chapter 7
Section 2
Life in Ancient China
Section Overview
• This section focuses on society in early
China, including the great religious and
philosophical systems that were created.
Terms to Know
social class: a group of people who share a
similar position in society
filial piety: the practice of showing respect
to parents and older relatives
Confucianism: Chinese philosophy that
taught that people must do their duty to
others to improve society
Terms to Know
Daoism: Chinese philosophy that says
people should give up worldly desires and
turn to nature and the Dao
Legalism: Chinese philosophy that taught
that people are evil and need harsh laws
to make them do their duty
Life in Ancient China
• Chinese society had three main social
classes: landowning aristocrats, farmers,
and merchants.
• Three Chinese philosophies,
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism,
grew out of a need for order.
Life in Ancient China
• A social class includes people who share
a similar position in society.
• Chinese society had three main social
classes: aristocrats, farmers, and
merchants.
• Aristocrats grew rich from farmers who
grew crops on the land the aristocrats
owned.
Life in Ancient China
• Most Chinese people were farmers.
• Farmers paid aristocrats with part of their
crops.
• Merchants were in the lowest class.
• They grew rich but were still looked down
on by aristocrats and farmers.
• Chinese families were large, and children
were expected to work on farms.
Life in Ancient China
• Filial piety means children had to respect
parents and elders.
• Men were considered more important than
women in Chinese society.
• Men went to school, ran the government,
and fought wars
• Women raised children and
managed their households.
A Chinese Village
Life in Ancient China
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 Philosophers
Chinese 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.
• Confucianism taught that all
men with a talent for
government should take part in
government.
Chinese Thinkers
• Daoism teaches that people should give
up worldly desires and encourages the
importance of nature.
• Legalism is the belief that society needs a
system of harsh laws
and punishments.
• The scholar Hanfeizi
developed Legalism.
Chinese Philosophers
Life in Ancient China
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.
Life in Ancient China
Describe the concept of filial piety.
Family members placed the needs
of the head of the family above their
own.
Life in Ancient China
Why did many aristocrats favor the
philosophy of Legalism?
It emphasized force and power and
did not require leaders to show
kindness or understanding to their
subjects.
Life in Ancient China
Contrast How did Daoism differ
from Confucianism?
Confucianism encouraged people to
work hard to improve the world, while
Daoism taught that people should
give up their concerns about the
world and seek inner peace.