12. Confucius
Confucius’s teachings emphasized virtue and moral cultivation as the foundation for societal order. However, later Chinese rulers often manipulated his concepts to legitimize authoritarian rule, focusing on hierarchical obedience rather than personal moral development. This distortion overshadowed Confucius’s original intent, which advocated for governance through virtue and leading by moral example, rather than through coercion or strict adherence to hierarchical structures. (plato.stanford.edu)
