Confucianism is a way of life brought about by Kong Fu Zi and his followers. It focuses on respect for the elders and emphasizes traditions. At times, Confucianism was the official way of doing things for its rulers. Some aspects of Confucianism are still used today.

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Daoism

Daoism (Taoism) is a way of life brought about by Lao Zi. He felt that life should be lived simply. Greed and possessions are the sources of human grief. He wrote down his ideas in a book called The Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).

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Legalism

Legalism is a way of life brought about by the prime minister Shang Yang, of the Qin (Chin) Dynasty. The Legalists believed that people were naturally bad. Therefore, the government believed in a strong system of rules and laws. They also believed that for a nation to be strong, music, history, art and kindness should be banned.

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Moism

Moism is a way of life brought about by Mo Zi (Mo Tau). He believed that things should be standardized, especially language so that words can have the same meaning for everyone. He believed in equality and in universal love. Loving others as you love yourself will make the world a better place.

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