Question

Merchants would be the most opposed to the ideas in both excerpts. The Confucian philosophy in Excerpt 1 criticizes profit-seeking, which directly conflicts with the role of merchants in society. Excerpt 2 also suggests that financial pursuits, such as Zheng He’s voyages, were wasteful and did not benefit the state, which would negatively impact merchants who relied on trade.
rephrase like a 8th grader

Answer 1

Merchants would probably disagree the most with the ideas in both excerpts. In Excerpt 1, Confucian philosophy talks about how wanting to make a profit isn't good, which goes against what merchants do. In Excerpt 2, it mentions that money spent on things like Zheng He’s voyages was wasteful and didn't help the country, which is bad news for merchants who need trade to make a living.