Confucius (551 - 479 B.C.E):
- The teacher in many periods ò Chinese history.
Theory of the universe:
Axiom: The main emphasis in the Analects is on humanism, not metaphysics.
Confucius was concerned primarily with basic human welfare and spoke little about the ultimate nature of the world in which we live.
However, Confucius still recognized there are forces in the universe that determine our lives, which is described by 2 related meanings of the term 命: 天命 (Decree of Heaven) and 命 (destiny).