Final answer:
Confucius believed that morality is based on character and not on rules. His teachings focus on the development of individual character through reciprocity and virtue ethics, with an emphasis on secular, character-centered morality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Confucius believed that morality was based on character, not on rules. In Confucianism, a normative moral theory developed during the ancient Chinese Warring States period, individual character is emphasized as the key to achieving an ethical and harmonious society. Confucius championed the idea of reciprocity and framed his moral system as secular, focusing on personal virtue and character rather than on religious doctrines or divinely ordained rules. Confucian virtue ethics suggests that right action flows from right character, underscoring the development of moral responsibilities through the practice of rituals (li), and highlighting the need for rulers to exhibit moral leadership and virtuous conduct.