Name ___________________________________________________________ Hour _________ Date _____________________
Chapter 8: Ancient China
Lesson 2: China's Ancient Philosophies p. 258 - 263
Main Ideas
 Belief systems: Legalists believed that the government must control people through
strict laws.

Belief systems: Confucius taught that order would return to China if society was
organized around five relationships.

Belief systems: The followers of Daoism taught that people could find virtue by living in
harmony with nature.
Vocabulary
Term
Definition
Other Representation
(Icon, Picture, Example,
Sentence, etc.)
Application:
What learning
target does this
term connect
to? Why?
philosophy
p. 259
Legalism
p.259
Confucianism
p. 260
filial piety
261
Daoism
p.262
Legalism – page 259 - 260
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Name ___________________________________________________________ Hour _________ Date _____________________
1. Legalists believed that human nature is _____________ and that people only do good if they are
__________________________ to be good. The government believed that harsh punishments were
needed to make people afraid to do __________________________________
2. Shang Yang, a supporter of Legalism, wanted to force people to report _______________________ .
He thought that people who did not report lawbreakers should be __________________________.
3. Legalists didn’t want people to: _________________________ about the government,
__________________________ what the government did, or taught ___________________________ ideas.
4. If people did complain or question the government, or taught different ideas, what happened?
5. Why DO YOU think rulers burned books that contained different philosophies or ideas?
Confucianism p. 260 – 261 / History Makers “Confucius” p.262
6. Confucius lived in a time of ________________ and __________________ in China.
7. Confucius developed ideas to end conflict and have peace in all relationships. He felt
_______________________________ was absolutely necessary for _________________________________________ .
8. How did Confucius want government officials to lead?
9. The book that had Confucius' ideas written down in was called __________________________________
10. What were the 5 Relationships for Confucius' code of proper conduct?
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Name ___________________________________________________________ Hour _________ Date _____________________
11. Describe one of Confucius' most important teachings, filial piety.
12. How did Confucius think rulers should behave? Do YOU think this was a good thing? Explain.
Daoism p. 262
13. Daoism is the third Chinese philosophy created by ______________ No one knows if he really
existed, but his name means "Old Master." The book of his teachings is the Dao De Jing
which means ________________________________________.
14. Describe "the way" of Daoism
-A universal force called the Dao (or the Way) __________________________ .
- All creatures, EXCEPT ________________________, live in harmony with this force
- Each human being had to find an ___________________________________ way or Dao.
- The individual had to live in __________________________ with ____________________
and with inner ____________________________ .
15. How do Daoists "follow the way?"
- they do not _____________________________________________________________________________
- they do not try to ______________________________________________________________________
- they _____________________________________________as they were.
- they did NOT want to be ______________________________________________________________
16. Daoists tried to understand nature and live in harmony with its rhythms. Describe the idea
of the "Yin and Yang" AND draw a picture of the yin and yang symbol.
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Name ___________________________________________________________ Hour _________ Date _____________________
Graphic Organizer for the Three Chinese Philosophies
Use the graphic organizer to write down different ideas that go along with
each of the ancient Chinese philosophies.
Legalism
Confucianism
Daoism
Lesson Summary – page 263
• Legalists believed humans are wicked and need strict laws with harsh punishments.
• Confucius taught a code of proper conduct, including respect, that humans could learn.
• Daoists held the view that each human must find an individual moral path to follow.
Why it Matters Now. . .
The teachings of Confucianism and Daoism remain influential in China and the world
today.
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