The Pioneer of Education in China
If you’ve ever been to a school campus in China (primary, secondary, even uni’s), there’s one thing that’s uniform… there will always be a statue of Confucius. Perhaps if I tell you his most famous nickname you might understand why, ‘the great, revered teacher’. Learning Confucius and his thoughts can help you to understand Chinse culture and learn to speak Chinese.
Confucius (孔子, Kǒng Zǐ ) was a government official, teacher, and philosopher, he lived through a chaotic period (551- 479 BC) and decided to take it upon himself to fix a broken system and create a better society.
He developed a new moral code based on strong family and societal bonds, respect, honesty, and education. His moral code still has strong lasting effects in the social structure of Chinese society.
He wrote many books, (we call them analects) but I’ve picked some of my favorite quotes.
Jǐ suǒ bú yù ，wù shī yú rén
“己所不欲，勿施于人。”
What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.
Zhìzhě bú huò ，rénzhě bù yōu，yǒngzhě bú jù
“知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。”
Education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope, hope breeds peace.
Guò ér bù gǎi ，shì wèi guò yǐ
“过而不改，是谓过矣。”
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
What do you think of Confucius sayings? Do you think they are helpful for today’s society and education? Are there any similar quotes to those found in the west?
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