Confucius taught that the best way to govern a society was through the power of virtue and moral example, rather than through force or the threat of punishment. He believed that if the government officials themselves were ethical and moral, then the people would follow their example and the society would be peaceful and prosperous. As a result of this teaching, government officials in ancient China were expected to be highly ethical and moral, and they were often held to a higher standard of behavior than the rest of the population.