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Life in Ancient China
Chapter 5
Section 2
Did You Know?
• Daoists believe the only acceptable time to
inflict harm on another living creature is in
self-defense.
Life in Ancient China
• What is a group called that includes individuals who share a
similar position in society?
• A social class
• What were Chinese society’s three main social classes?
• Land-owning 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 because they were not allowed to hold government positions.
Life in Ancient China
• Chinese families were large, and children were expected to work on
farms. Families were the building block of society. What is filial piety?
• Children had to respect parents and elders.
• Men’s jobs were considered to be more important than women’s jobs.
What were some of the differences between what men and women were
allowed to do?
• Men went to school, ran the government, and fought wars.
• Women could not hold government offices but could influence decisions of
their husbands. Most women raised and educated children. In addition,
some managed the family finances.
Discussion 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 Thinkers
• What were the three major theories or philosophies that were
developed to reinstate peace after the Period of the Warring
States?
• Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism
• Who developed Confucianism?
• Confucius. He was China’s first great thinker and teacher. What did
he believe?
• The most important thing in life was for people to do their duty.
• What was a person’s duty?
•
a person must put the needs of family and community before his or her own
personal needs.
• Confucianism taught that all men with a talent for government
should take part in government.
Chinese Thinkers
• Who developed Daoism?
• The scholar and teacher Laozi (pronounced LOWD•ZOO)
• What does Daoism teach?
• People should give up worldly desires. It emphasizes the importance of nature.
People should seek inner peace and live in harmony with nature and the Dao (the
force that guides all things).
• What would a Daoist society be like?
• Peace-loving
• Who developed Legalism?
• The scholar Hanfeizi (pronounced HAN•fay•DZOO)
• What does Legalism teach?
• Society needs a system of harsh laws and punishments if people are to
do their duty.
• What social class benefited from Legalism?
• Aristocrats - it did not require rulers to show kindness or
understanding and led to harsh punishments for farmers.
Discussion 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.