Abstract: This article discusses the educational philosophy of Mencius, Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming, and analyzes the nature, aim, theoretical foundation and pedagogical methods of education in East Asian Confucianisms. We also discuss the relevance of Confucian educational philosophy for the 21st century. It is argued that Confucian philosophers defined “education” as the “Learning for Oneself.” The aim of education in the Confucian tradition lay in the “awakening of one’s moral subjectivity.” Confucian philosophers believed that one’s mind-heart was programed with moral values. Therefore, the major task of education was to invoke or awaken the student’s mind-heart. All of the educational ideals of East Asian Confucianisms were put into practice in the private academies since tenth century. To conclude, two messages from Confucian educational philosophy are particularly important for the 21st century. First, the mentor is of paramount importance in every stage of education. Second, a harmonious combination of the “etic” and the “emic” approach in education paves the way from the “transformation of self” to the “transformation of the world.”