Beliefs in Ancient China and Egypt and the Justification for Ruling Classes

Abstract

This thesis discusses the development of some of the earliest wide-scale belief systems in two of the oldest civilizations in the world. Ancient China and Egypt developed in very different natural environments, which helped shaped the ancient people’s worldviews. As these civilizations grew in population and size, the elite and ruling classes needed to justify their positions of power over the commoners. This thesis analyzes and compares how the ruling classes of ancient China and Egypt used these belief systems to justify and maintain their positions differently or similarly.