Confucius
Confucius was born in 551 BCE at Qufu, in the kingdom of Lu, (present day province of Shandong). His teachings can be summarized by this paragraph from "The Great Learnings" (below), in which he asserts us that the search for knowledge (science?) leads to functional states. It also talks about "Higher Man", discipline, benign thoughts, respect, sincerity, care, inquiry, and righteousness. One of my favorite stories by him goes a bit like this:
Passing through rugged and deserted mountains on their way, they were surprised to find an old woman weeping beside a grave. Confucius sent Tsze-Ioo to inquire the cause of her grief. "My husband's father," she answered, "was killed here by a tiger, and my husband also; and now my son has met the same fate." When Confucius asked why she persisted in living in so dangerous a place, she replied: "There is no oppressive government here." "My children," said Confucius to his students, "remember this. Oppressive government is fiercer than a tiger."
On the great learnings
"The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things."
Source: Durant, Will, 1885-1981, Our Oriental Heritage: Volume I Simon and Schuster, 1935.
Public Domain
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Full disclosure, I may occasionally borrow a sentence from Will Durant's Story of Civilization. I absolutely love that collection!