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Most people recognize his name

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and know that he is famous 
for having said something,

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but considering the long-lasting impact
his teachings have had on the world,

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very few people know 
who Confucius really was,

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what he really said,

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and why.

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Amid the chaos of 6th Century BCE China,

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where warring states fought 
endlessly among themselves for supremacy,

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and rulers were frequently assassinated,


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sometimes by their own relatives,

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Confucius exemplified benevolence
and integrity,

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and through his teaching,

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became one of China's 
greatest philosophers.

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Born to a nobleman but raised in poverty
from a very young age

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following the untimely 
death of his father,

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Confucius developed what would become

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a lifelong sympathy
for the suffering of the common people.

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Barely supporting his mother
and disabled brother

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as a herder 
and account keeper at a granary,

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and with other odd jobs,

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it was only with 
the help of a wealthy friend

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that Confucius was able 
to study at the Royal Archives,

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where his world view would be formed.

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Though the ancient texts there
were regarded by some

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as irrelevant relics of the past,

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Confucius was inspired by them.

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Through study and reflection,

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Confucius came to believe that 
human character is formed in the family

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and by education in ritual, 
literature, and history.

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A person cultivated in this way
works to help others,

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guiding them by moral inspiration
rather than brute force.

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To put his philosophy into practice,

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Confucius became an advisor to the ruler
of his home state of Lu.

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But after another state sent Lu's ruler
a troop of dancing girls as a present

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and the ruler ignored his duties
while enjoying the girls in private,

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Confucius resigned in disgust.

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He then spent the next few years
traveling from state to state,

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trying to find a worthy ruler to serve,
while holding fast to his principles.

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It wasn't easy.

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In accordance with his philosophy,
and contrary to the practice of the time,

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Confucius dissuaded rulers from relying
on harsh punishments and military power

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to govern their lands

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because he believed that a good ruler

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inspires others 
to spontaneously follow him

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by virtue of his ethical charisma.

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Confucius also believed

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that because the love and respect
we learn in the family

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are fundamental to all other virtues,

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personal duties to family sometimes
supersede obligations to the state.

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So when one duke bragged 
that his subjects were so upright

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that a son testified 
against his own father

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when his father stole a sheep,

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Confucius informed the duke

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that genuinely upright fathers 
and sons protected one another.

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During his travels, 
Confucius almost starved,

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he was briefly imprisoned,

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and his life was threatened 
at several points.

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But he was not bitter.

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Confucius had faith that heaven
had a plan for the world,

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and he taught that a virtuous person

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could always find joy 
in learning and music.

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Failing to find the ruler he sought,

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Confucius returned to Lu

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and became a teacher and philosopher
so influential,

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that he helped shaped Chinese culture

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and we recognize his name worldwide, 
even today.

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For the disciples of Confucius,

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he was the living embodiment of a sage
who leads others through his virtue,

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and they recorded his sayings,

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which eventually were edited into a book
we know in English as "The Analects."

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Today, millions of people worldwide adhere
to the principles of Confucianism,

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and though the precise meaning of 
his words has been debated for millennia,

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when asked to summarize 
his teachings in a single phrase,

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Confucius himself said,

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"Do not inflict upon others 
that which you yourself would not want."

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2,500 years later, it's still sage advice.