Master Teachers of History: Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus

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“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” Phil Collins. I have learned a great amount of information within the many topics covered in this class. More specifically, I have learned about some of the most influential teachers in the world and throughout history. While I already knew quite a bit about the teachings of Jesus, I was relatively unfamiliar with the teachings of Confucius and Socrates. It was amazing how much these two different teachers could have so much in common with the beliefs of Jesus and Christianity as a whole.Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus are three master teachers who are unique in their teachings but have one common similarity; all of their teaching methods impact the way people (including myself) see …show more content…

In fact, Confucius’s philosophy and beliefs were so powerful and well liked by his followers that Confucius’s beliefs became a religion called Confucianism. Why may this be of any importance to me? Confucius’s beliefs of morals and social relationships has helped modify and grow in just that exact area of my life. As a way to keep out of human affairs between the church and the state, Confucius preached that “To keep one’s distance from the gods and spirits while showing them reverence can be called wisdom” 547). This quote really stood out to me because of Confucius’s consideration of other’s beliefs. There have been moments in my life where I have made the mistake of completely disregarding people’s religion or beliefs. In the past few weeks while learning more and more about various cultures, I have found it interesting to dig deep into other cultures and consider all possibilities and beliefs without making the mistake of being contempt. Confucius’s emphasis of social philosophy has certainly helped to teach me to interpret and look into other cultures in a way different ever than before. Not only does this viewpoint allow for me to attain more knowledge, but it also allows for me to …show more content…

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who called anything into question in pursuit to find the truth. Socrates once stated that “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing” (“Socrates Quotes”). This teaching of Socrates 's helps to inform people that it is wise to know that there are questions that will never be discovered. This is so powerful to me because it deals with a problem that I am challenged with regarding to my faith. Like I stated before, I have many unanswered questions that I desire to have an answer for, but one of the key parts of any religion are the questions. Socrates appreciated the fact that he didn’t always know what to do, and he expressed that “our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us” (“Socrates Quotes”). God has a way of sheltering his children from truly knowing everything about the world around us and our existence as a whole. It is obvious that Socrates was at peace knowing that he had no real control over his life, and he willingly trusted that God knew what would be best in the end. God keeps us in the dark to protect us from the evil in the world, and to help strengthen us in our faith. Socrates saw this constant uncertainty, and he made a point in fully accepting that humans will never have all the knowledge in the

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