Confucius was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought. Confucianism, the great system of moral and religious philosophy built upon the teachings of Master Kung. Fung You-lan, one of the great 20th century authorities on the history ofChinese thought, compares Confucius9 influence in Chinese history with that of Socrates in the West.
Confucius is a famous ideologist, educator, and thefounder of Confucian School in ancient China. It'ssaid he has 3,000 disciples, 72 out of whom areexcellent ones, and he has led some disciples to visitvarious states for 14 years. During 5,000 years' history of China, it's Confucius who has exertedthe greatest impact on Chinese nation's characteristic and temperament. He is upright,optimistic, active and enterprising, striving for truthfulness, kindness and beauty, andseeking for an ideal society all his life. The shining points in his characteristics have beeninfluencing the Chinese people, especially the Chinese intellectuals for thousands of years.