Confucius
Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.) was a Chinese philosopher and educator of the Spring and Autumn period, and the founder and main representative of the Confucian school of thought. Confucius started the tradition of private teaching, which broke the nobility's monopoly of knowledge. He reportedly had over 3,000 disciples, of whom 72 were outstanding. Confucius toured around the states with some of his disciples for 14 years, and in his later life, he revised the Six Classics (Shi, Shu, Li, Yue, Yi and Chunqiu). After his death, his disciples and the disciples of his disciples collected and compiled their ideas and activities, which gave birth to the Analects, a key work for understanding the life and teachings of Confucius.
Confucius advocated restoring the rites of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.). He also proposed a creative philosophical system with "benevolence" and "rites" at its core. "Benevolence" refers to an individual's inherent moral consciousness, with filial piety and brotherly respect as the starting point and foundation of family ethics; "rites" refer to a reasonable social order, which is the external manifestation of "benevolence". "Benevolence" and "rites" are basic principles that run through family, social, and political life.
Confucian thought and the classics he compiled have been constantly studied and interpreted by later generations. They have had a profound impact on the development of Chinese civilization for thousands of years, and have left an indelible footprint across East Asia and even in Europe. The most influential figure in the history of Chinese civilization, Confucius was revered in ancient times as the "Supreme Saint and First Teacher", and is seen in modern times as the icon of Chinese civilization.
孔子
孔子（约前551—前479），春秋末期著名思想家、教育家，儒家学派创始人和主要代表人物。孔子开创了私人讲学的风气，打破了贵族对知识的垄断。据称，孔子有3000 多名弟子，其中贤能者有72人。他曾带领部分弟子周游列国14年，晚年亲自修订了“六经”。孔子去世后，他的弟子 和再传弟子将孔子及其弟子的言行记录下来，整理编成《论语》一书。这是了解孔子生平和思想的主要文献。
孔子主张恢复周礼，创造性地提出了以“仁”和“礼”为核心的思想体系。“仁”指个体内在本有的道德意识，以家庭伦理中的“孝悌”为起点和基础；“礼”则指一种合理的社会秩序，是“仁”的外在表现。“仁”与“礼”是贯通家庭、社会和政治生活的基本原则。
孔子的思想和他整理的典籍经过后世的不断研习和阐释，深刻影响了中华文明数千年的发展，并对东亚、东南亚乃至欧洲文明发展影响深远。孔子也因此成为对中华文明影响最大的历史人物，在古代被尊崇为“至圣先师”，成为代表中华文明的标志性人物。
