①Confucius, who was born more than two thousand years ago, is one of the most important
Chinese philosophers (哲学家). After all these years, his influence is still strong in modern times.
②Unlike the abstract(抽象的) philosophy of Laozi, Confucian ideas about right and wrong are easy to understand and connected to daily life. "It's all about the everyday. It's all about family, " Roger Ames, a Confucius expert at Peking University, told China Daily.
③For example, many Chinese learn at an early age to "be filial(孝顺的) to parents and respectful to brothers". Confucius believed that if everyone knows how to love their families, they will know how to love others, love their country and love the world.
④"Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you" is the favorite Confucius idea of Guo Jiulin, a professor at Dalian Minzu University. "It reminds me that if a person wants to achieve his social dreams, he must first be strict with himself in words and behaviors, "he told China Daily.
⑤Another important Confucian idea is he, or harmony(和谐). Sun Yiting, a student from Zhejiang University, values it. "It reminds me to calm down when I get angry, " she told TEENS. "It reminds me to put oneself in others' shoes. This way of thinking makes my life much happier. "
⑥Confucian ideas can even be connected to today's global problems, according to Ames.
⑦"Confucius believed that the only way I can take my stand is by helping other people take theirs. If my neighbor does better, I do better. That's the Confucian wisdom (智慧). This is really needed in the world today", said Ames.
⑧"Global warming, food and water shortages, environmental problems, international terrorism (恐怖主义) We can solve these problems only if we work together. "
