I thought this documentary about Confucius was so interesting, and learning more about his life gave me a much greater insight into his ideas. One thing that stuck out to me was that the documentary emphasized the power of young people. In his fifties, Confucius was having a heard time reaching his goals and spreading his beliefs. He traveled with a group of young students who helped him and carried on his legacy after he died. I think that this idea shows how powerful youth can be in the spread of ideas, which is something that is still in effect today.
One thing that surprised me about the documentary was the backlash Confucius faced. I feel as though I’ve always heard about Confucius in a positive light, as someone who wanted to spread peace and improve morality in his country. It was surprising to me that after he died, some of these ideas were met with hostility in the 20th century. With that being said, I found it interesting that Confucianism has seen a recent resurgence and is going through a renaissance. It is fascinating to see that his ideas are being adhered to and taught all around in 3,000 schools in China in today’s day and age.