Kong Zi , also called Confucius (551-479 B.C) , and Socrates  (469-399 B. C) lived only a hundred years apart , and during their lifetimes there was no contact  between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers  came from shaped their ideas , and how these ideas in turn ,shaped their societies. Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life:" Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you." He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some bad more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that the superior class should rule the inferior classes. For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of the society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations. Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes. What made some people different from others according to Confucius?
Family. Potential . Knowledge. Community.