A quick google of "Quesnay European Confucius" will quickly
turn up numerous sources on this. He studied Confucius and
advocated Confucianism specifically during his day, very
much approving of its deemphasis on theism and a greater
emphasis on rationality as a supporter for authority within
the Enlightenment context. BTW, apparently Goethe was
called the "Confucius of Weimar."
Barkley Rosser