Confucius´ philosophy (who lived from 551 to 479 BCE in China) revolved around the importance of morality in relation to the person and to the exercise of government, emphasizing social relationships based on respect, civility, correctness, honesty, and justice.
In the passage above, Confucius is stipulating that human cordiality and respect for others are the cornerstones of social relationships, so much so that, as he argues, this feeling of respect for others marks the difference between the beasts and humanity.