Confucius may be crucial thinker in historical past. this present day, his teachings form the day-by-day lives of greater than 1.6 billion humans. all through East Asia, Confucius's impression will be visible in every little thing from company practices and kinfolk relationships to academic criteria and govt regulations. whilst western rules from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the zone, Confucius's doctrine has persisted because the starting place of East Asian tradition. it's very unlikely to appreciate East Asia, journalist Michael Schuman demonstrates, with no first enticing with Confucius and his massive legacy.

Confucius created a worldview that's in lots of respects specific from, and in clash with, Western tradition. As Schuman indicates, the way in which that East Asian businesses are controlled, how relatives engage with one another, and the way governments see their function in society all fluctuate from the norm within the West as a result of Confucius's lasting effect. Confucius has been credited with giving East Asia a bonus in ultra-modern international, through instilling its individuals with a devotion to studying, and propelling the region's monetary development. nonetheless, the sage has additionally been hugely debatable. For the previous a hundred years, East Asians have wondered if the quarter can develop into actually glossy whereas Confucius is still so entrenched in society. He has been criticized for inflicting the inequality of girls, selling authoritarian regimes, and suppressing human rights.

Despite those debates, East Asians at the present time are turning to Confucius to aid them clear up the ills of recent existence greater than they've got in a century. As a filthy rich and more and more strong Asia rises at the global degree, Confucius, too, will command a extra renowned position in international culture.

Touching on philosophy, background, and present affairs, Confucius tells the bright, dramatic tale of the enigmatic thinker whose rules stay on the center of East Asian civilization.