The Ancient World's Most Influential Philosophers: The Lives and Works of Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero

*Includes pictures*Includes a table of contentsMany people argue that Confucius is the most influential person of all time, and if having a significant effect on the greatest number of people is the criterion, he may very well be. China is one of the largest and oldest civilizations on earth, and Confucius has been influential there from almost the beginning: the first Chinese dynasty was founded around 1600 BCE and Confucius lived from 551-479 BCE. There is little evidence that he thought of himself as a harbinger of any kind, but shortly after his death, writings, sayings, and theories based on his life and ideas spread throughout China and even took hold of the imperial court of one of the most powerful and important dynasties, the Han (206 BCE-220 CE). It was during the Han Dynasty that Confucianism became closely tied to state affairs.None of Socrates’ works survived antiquity, so most of what is known about him came from the writings of his followers, most notably Plato. What is