Confucius
Historical and international
Photo: Anonymous Chinese painter of the Western Han period, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
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Position estimated from: Analects: rule by virtue, filial piety and ritual hierarchy, benevolent government.
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 54 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 86 | strongly toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 57 | near the center | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 60 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 30 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 60 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 53 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 60 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 99 | strongly toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 60 | near the center |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 86 | strongly toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 54 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 30 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 56 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Agrees | estimated |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Agrees | estimated |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Right-Wing Nationalism86% similar positionPaternalistic Conservatism85% similar positionNativism85% similar positionSocial Conservatism85% similar positionNational Populism84% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Pope Leo XIII88% similar · Historical and internationalJD Vance85% similar · US politiciansViktor Orbán84% similar · Historical and internationalThomas Aquinas84% similar · Historical and internationalRon DeSantis84% similar · US politiciansPeter KropotkinContrasting: 43% similarMikhail BakuninContrasting: 44% similarVaushContrasting: 48% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 11, 2026.