Key Thinkers: Jeffrey Riegel on Confucius (p2)

Part 1 | Part 2

In his Key Thinkers (Sydney Ideas) lecture, Professor Jeffrey Riegel looks at the life, work and reputation of Confucius.

Confucius (traditional dates 551-479 BCE) lived during the waning years of the Zhou dynasty. He was deeply troubled by the disorder of his age and took it upon himself to teach others about Zhou virtues as well as to instruct them on how to cultivate such virtue in themselves. Confucius’s efforts mark the beginning of the traditional Chinese emphasis on education and the crucial role of self-improvement and self-cultivation in any ethical system. Jeffrey Riegel is Professor and Head of School of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts. University of Sydney, October 2009