So Confucius was conservative. He argued that the key to bringing about a strong and peaceful state was to look to the past and the model of the sage emperors. By following their example of upright moral behavior, the Chinese emperor could bring order to China. Confucius's idea of morally upright behavior boils down to a person's knowing his or her place in a series of hierarchical relationships and acting accordingly. Everyone lives his life, or her life, but like most ancient philosophical traditions, women were marginalized, in relationship to other people and is either a superior or an inferior. There are five key relationships, but the most important is the one between father and son, and one of the keys to understanding Confucius is filial piety, a son treating his father with reverential respect. The father is supposed to earn this respect by caring for the son and educating him, but this doesn't mean that a son has the right to disrespect a neglectful father.