Confucius

Confucius, who lived from 551-479 BCE, was an intellectual, political figure, teacher, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought. His teachings form the basis of Chinese beliefs on education and how individuals should live their lives and interact with others (1). This emphasis on education and study is a trademark of Confucius’ thought. Confucius looked down upon those who relied on natural understanding or intuition. He argued that true understanding develops from meticulous learning. One quote attributed to Confucius is “learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous” (2).

(Kirschner)

Interestingly, this notion of a high stress on education is apparent in Chinese American society today. Nancy Foner, in her work From Ellis Island to JFK, discusses how Chinese American parents spare no expense on educational programming for their children. “Hard work and discipline, not innate intelligence, are the keys to educational success in the eyes of Chinese immigrant parents. The parents push their children to “work at least twice as hard as their American counterparts”” (3). This integral emphasis on education in the Chinese American community, undoubtedly, has been passed down through Confucius teachings.