How did the teachings of Daoism, Legalism, and other schools of thought differ from Confucianism?

During the Warring States Period, rulers took advantage of the destruction of states to recruit newly unemployed men to serve as their advisers and court assistants. Lively debate often resulted as these strategists proposed policies and refuted opponents. Followers took to recording their teachers’ ideas, and the circulation of these “books” (rolls of silk, or strips of wood or bamboo tied together) served to stimulate further debate.

Many of these schools of thought directly opposed the ideas of Confucius and his followers. Most notable were the Daoists, who believed that the act of striving to improve society only made it worse, and the Legalists, who argued that a strong government depended not so much on moral leadership as on effective laws and procedures.