One of Confucius' most famous theories of education

We talked a lot about Confucius' ideas, which is what made him a philosopher, but in addition to that he was also an educator. Is it just because he has so many students? Of course not, Confucius was also an educational theorist. One of his most famous theories of education is 有教无类, which means education for all regardless of family background.

Confucius believed that people are akin in terms of instincts at birth, and that disparity arises from their diverse living environments. For this he proposed that people, regardless of their wealth and social position, should all be entitled to education, which should be accessible for everyone.

This was remarkable at a time when education was mainly run by the government and open to only children from aristocratic families. Children from families of common folks stood little chance of acquiring any schooling. So this proposition broke the aristocratic monopoly over education and culture.