Born into a period of political and social upheaval in China, a low level government employee.

A man of scholarly bent with political aspirations to return China to the "good old days" - the social harmony of more ancient times.

The organizer of Chinese culture, the founder of a school for future leaders of society where he would discuss with his students the moral, social and political problems of the day (the Plato of China).

"The greatest failure who ever lived": His hopes went unrealized in his day but some 400 years later, and for over 2000 years since, his teachings have been embraced.