Confucius was the founder of Confucianism. He lived in Lu State (present Qufu City in Shandong Province) during the later part of the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC) when the struggling for the domination of the country grew in intensity.

In his young days, he served in the government. Because of the frustration of his political theory by the ruler of Lu, at the age of 35, he retired from his official life. For the next fourteen years, he traveled from state to state and presented his political idea to different rulers. However no one would listen to him. Though failed in politics, Confucius was esteemed as a great teacher and philosopher in history. By the age of 40, he set up an academy to popularize Confucianism and it was said that his students added up to over 3,000. In his career as a teacher, He permitted no discrimination on education and carried out among common people school education, which used to be privilege of ruling class.

In spite of the political and social turmoil of the era, scholars were found creative to cultivate different schools of thoughts in the most favorable climate. Confucius advocated a set of moral code on basis of five merits: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. Among them, benevolence was considered as the cornerstone, which stands for faithfulness, filial piety, tolerance and kindness. He said, "Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you" and requested people to keep in good harmony with each other and establish a community ruled by standard manners and behavior.

In politics and economy, he suggested the ruler to implement clement policy and civilize his people. And he went against tyranny and random execution. At the same time, he forbade the violation of the superiority of the ruling class. He prescribed that the wife must be absolutely devoted to her husband, the son to his father and the ministers to their masters. In this way, he outlined the society with a distinction between the superior and the inferior, which he believed helped to restore orderly government.

Confucius was also known to have revised ancient literature as book of songs, book of changes and book of history and edited the first chronicle historical record, the Spring and Autumn Annals. Most of his sayings and teachings were collected and complied by his disciples in the book the Analects, which became the textbook for the later generations. However, no matter how great Confucius was, he still had his own weak points in personality. Confucius showed contempt towards businessmen and farmers. He looked down upon women, who were thus kept in low status in feudal society for 2,000 years.

Lao Zi

Lao Zi(Lao-Tse )is considered the first philosopher of the Taoist school. The Tao De Jing, attributed to Lao Zi, is one of the most sacred texts of Taoism. His writings teach the philosophy of the Tao, or the Way, which is reality that naturally exists prior to and gives rise to all other things such as the physical universe and all things in it. Te, which means virtue, is the life energy in things and a sense of morality which constitutes the Way. The Tao can be found by experiencing the oneness in all things - fulfilling life as one with nature and as one with the inner self. The speaking of Lao Zi's wisdom is what attracts people to follow him and make him the teacher of Taoism.

Eighty percent of Lao Zi's teachings are devoted to man's function and his role in society by means of virtue. He finds courage, generosity, and leadership to be three virtues involved in all ethical systems. However, he wants the truly virtuous man to spontaneously do good out of what he genuinely feels without being aware and concerned of other people's approval. He believes people should "act without acting" by spontaneously saying and doing what is genuinely felt rather than putting on a show for others. This is to avoid hypocrisy, the result of people acting in ways they think others will approve of and value.

From the Taoist point of view, Confucian virtues of humanity, righteousness, knowledge, and wisdom are seen as bridges to hypocrisy. This is because these virtues make distinctions between right and wrong, a concept which is absent and unnecessary in Taoism. In further comparison with the teachings of Confucius, Lao Zi emphasizes peace of mind and tranquility of the spirit, whereas Confucius emphasizes moral perfection and social adjustment. In addition, Lao Zi nourishes a person's nature, while Confucius fully develops it. Therefore, Confucius hopes for his followers to become one with heaven, and Lao Zi opens himself to become one with the nature of the universe. However, both teachers share a common interest to avoid extremes and to live by the Golden Rule.

Moreover, Lao Zi stresses how important it is to be one with nature because it provides positive character. He regards genuineness, sincerity, and spontaneity to be "natural" characteristics which people are born with and possess. Yet, he claims these qualities are destroyed through education and cultural influences. In addition, he explains how a person is able to dismiss all authority except for the authority of self and a personal God. In this case, God is understood to be everything in nature. Thus, people who know and respect the authority of their inner nature know where they belong.

Consequently, Lao Zi longs for life to take place in a small, united community where deceit, selfishness, and evil are non-existent in order to pursue a life of single and simple community. He glorifies simplicity by encouraging people to live without desires, knowledge, competition, and things of the senses. Therefore, he also teaches how to live the simple life, the one which is free from cunning and cleverness and not devoted to the pursuit of profit. As a result, Lao Zi opens himself up to the universe and demonstrates how to live a life full of the beauty of nature, which allows people to follow in his path and take his teachings to heart.

Meng Zi

Meng Zi (Mencius) was born about 372 BC in the principality of Zou, located in what is now the province of Shandong. Shortly after he was born, his father died, and he was brought up by his mother alone.Legend says that the name of Mencius' mother was Zhang Shi and that she changed her residence three times on account of her concern for Mencius.

Mencius served as counselor to princes in the state of Chu and later visited other states to advise on government. He received substantial gifts for this, which he considered proper for a man of his abilities. After about 15 years he appears to have concluded that while treated with respect, he was offering advice that was ignored. Many of the local kings and princes in China were interested in pleasure and conquest rather than theories of good government. Mencius therefore retired from active life and turned to philosophy and the compilation of the substantial book that bears his name. Before he died at age 84, he also said to have completed the editorial work of Confucius.

Mencius argued that all men have a mind that cannot bear to see the suffering of others. From this it follows that the feeling of commiseration, the feeling of shame and dislike, the feeling of modesty and complaisance, and the feeling of approving and disapproving are all essential to a human being. Mencius asserted that the feeling of commiseration is the principle of benevolence. The feeling of shame and dislike is the principle of righteousness. The feeling of modesty and complaisance is the principle of propriety. The feeling of approving and disapproving is the principle of knowledge.