Among the top ten thinkers in the world, why did Confucius, a great thinker in China, rank first?
Because eight hundred years before Confucius, when Zhou was just established, China's unified writing had not yet formed. Therefore, "Zhou Li", one of the earliest and relatively complete social thoughts, morality and behavior norms in human history, cannot be preserved in the form of words. Guo Moruo once verified that Oracle Bone Inscriptions is still used by merchants (it is said that there is physical evidence). When the Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Shang Dynasty and established a unified dynasty, it should also be Oracle Bone Inscriptions. It was not until the Spring and Autumn Period when Confucius lived that there was a unified character "Da Zhuan" in China. Confucius took "self-denial and courtesy" as his responsibility all his life. In the written records left behind, many contents of "Zhou Li" were preserved. Therefore, later generations put all the social thoughts, morality and behavior norms of "Zhou Li" summarized by the social elite of Zhou Dynasty headed by Duke Zhou on Confucius. You are welcome to say that if you put all the ideas, morals and codes of conduct of the development of civilization in an era on your head, you are the first thinker in the world. In fact, Confucius himself did not admit that the thought, morality and code of conduct he advocated were his own inventions. He always said these were from the Book of Rites. He is just trying to do one thing "self-denial".