<P> The four occupations ( simplified Chinese : 士 农工商 ; traditional Chinese : 士農工商 ) or `` four categories of the people '' ( Chinese : 四 民 ) was an occupation classification used in ancient China by either Confucian or Legalist scholars as far back as the late Zhou dynasty and is considered a central part of the fengjian social structure ( c. 1046 -- 256 BC ) . These were the shi ( gentry scholars ) , the nong ( peasant farmers ) , the gong ( artisans and craftsmen ) , and the shang ( merchants and traders ) . The four occupations were not always arranged in this order . The four categories were not socioeconomic classes ; wealth and standing did not correspond to these categories , nor were they hereditary . </P>
when did confucian political philosophy first gain acceptance among the chinese ruling class
as far back as the late Zhou dynasty