Book description
Confucius was the only philosopher whose ideas were taken on as a full state religion. Born into an aristocratic family, he rose to become a minister in the state of Lu in China. After falling out with the ruler he bacame a wandering sage, trying to replace empty religious observances by teaching moral values as the basis of social and political order.
These witty and informative guides cover the lives and ideas of the major philosophers. Award-winning author Paul Strathern’s concise and easily comprehensive style highlights the major advances in philosophy, as well as the men who conceived them and the times in which they lived.
Packed with striking quotes, insights and anecdotes, the aim of the Philosophers Series is to clarify the mysteries of philosophy for the general reader.




















