Confucius

Confucius, Chinese Kongfuzi or K’ung-fu-tzu, (born 551 bc, Ch’ü-fu, state of Lu—died 479, Lu), Ancient Chinese teacher, philosopher, and political theorist. Born into a poor family, he managed stables and worked as a bookkeeper while educating himself. Mastery of the six arts—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic—and familiarity with history and poetry enabled him to begin a brilliant teaching career in his thirties. Confucius saw education as a process of constant self-improvement and held that its primary function was the training of noblemen ( junzi). He saw public service as the natural consequence of education and sought to revitalize Chinese social institutions, including the family, school, community, state, and kingdom. He served in government posts, eventually becoming minister of justice in Lu, but his policies attracted little interest. After a 12-year self-imposed exile during which his circle of students expanded, he returned to Lu at age 67 to teach and write. His life and thoughts are recorded in the Lunyu ( Analects). See also Related Article Summaries

Confucianism, Scholarly tradition and way of life propagated by bc and followed by the Chinese for more than two millennia. Though not organized as a religion, it has deeply influenced East Asian spiritual and political life in a comparable manner. The core idea is ren (“humaneness,” “benevolence”), signifying excellent character in accord with li (ritual norms), zhong (loyalty to one’s true nature), shu (reciprocity), and xiao (filial piety). Together these constitute de (virtue). bc. Confucianism was then recognized as the Han state cult, and the Five Classics became the core of education. In spite of the influence of Related Article Summaries

• Full Name: Kong Qiu (at birth). Also known as Kong Fuzi, Kong Zi, K'ung Ch'iu, or Master Kong • Known For: Philosopher, founder of Confucianism • Born: 551 B.C. in Qufu, China • Died: 479 B.C. in Qufu, China • Parents: Shuliang He (father); Member of Yan clan (mother) • Spouse: Qiguan • Children: Bo Yu (also referenced as Kong Li) Early Life Though Confucius lived during the 5th century B.C., his biography was not recorded until the Han dynasty, some 400 years later, in the Records of the Grand Historian or Shiji by Sima Qian. Confucius was born to a once-aristocratic family in a small state called Lu, in northeastern China in 551 B.C., just before a period of political chaos known as the Warring States Period. Various translations of the Shiji indicate that his father was elderly, nearly 70, while his mother was only 15, and it is likely that the union was out of wedlock. Confucius' father died when he was young, and he was raised in poverty by his mother. According to The Analects, a collection of teachings and sayings attributed to Confucius, he acquired menial skills as a matter of necessity from his poor upbringing, though his position as a member of a formerly aristocratic family afforded him the ability to pursue his scholarly interests. When Confucius was 19, he married Qiguan, though he quickly separated from her. Records differ, but the pair is known to have had only one son, Bo Yu (also called Kong Li). Later Years Somewhere around the age of 30, Confucius beg...

A statue of Confucius Confucius was born in an era of philosophical creativity. The rulers and subjects of the various regions sought for knowledge and power in uncertain times. He tried to teach ancient truth in a time of political confusion and crisis as the Zhou Dynasty was falling from power. Dozens of regions of their empire transformed to be independent kingdoms and tried to conquer each other. The kings and rulers battled for survival and dominance in the region, and they wanted to know what to do. They sought for knowledge about how best to rule their kingdoms and survive in the dangerous times. Making a mistake might mean their deaths or the destruction of their kingdom, so there was a demand for knowledge, political strategies, and power. Courts and rulers employed traveling teachers to teach or be officials. Confucius was both an itinerant teacher and an official. Confucius' Birthday Date: Sept. 28 Activities on Confucius' Birthday Sacrifice activity is a reverent and memorial action toward great or beloved people who are deceased. On Confucius' birthday anniversary, there will be many activities for commemorating Confucius in Confucian Temples all over China. People will arrange performances and sacrifice animals and wine to show their respect and love to Confucius. The most famous and biggest centers for celebrating Confucius' birthday are Qufu International Confucius Culture Festival and Quzhou Confucius Sacrifice Ceremony. Qufu International Confucius Cultur...

Confucius • Occupation: Philosopher and teacher • Born: 551 BC in China, the state of Lu • Died: 479 BC in China, the state of Lu • Best known for: Creating the philosophy known as Confucianism Biography: Growing Up Not a lot is known about the childhood of Confucius. He was born in the state of Lu in 551 BC. His father was a soldier named Kong He who died when Confucius was three years old. The rest of his childhood was spent in poverty as Confucius was raised by his mother. Confucius' family was part of a growing middle class of people in China called "shi." They weren't part of the nobility, but were considered above the common peasants. This gave him a different outlook on life than the majority of people. He thought that people should be promoted and rewarded based on their talents, not on what family they were born into. "Konfuzius-1770" by Unknown [Public Domain] Early Career Confucius didn't start out as a wise teacher, he worked a number of normal jobs first. They included being a shepherd and a clerk,. Eventually, Confucius came to work for the government. He started out as the governor of a small town and worked his way up until he became an advisor at the top levels of government. His Philosophy Confucius developed his own philosophy which he taught to others. Today, his philosophy is known as Confucianism. His ideas didn't become popular until years after his death when they became the basic philosophy of the Chinese culture for over two thousand years. Here a...

Confucius (551—479 B.C.E.) Better known in China as “Master Kong” (Chinese: Rujia) – ultimately traces itself to the sayings and biographical fragments recorded in the text known as the Analects (Chinese: Lunyu). As with the person of Confucius himself, scholars disagree about the origins and character of the Analects, but it remains the traditional source for information about Confucius’ life and teaching. Most scholars remain confident that it is possible to extract from the Analects several philosophical themes and views that may be safely attributed to this ancient Chinese sage. These are primarily ethical, rather than analytical-logical or metaphysical in nature, and include Confucius’ claim that Tian (“Heaven”) is aligned with moral order but dependent upon human agents to actualize its will; his concern for li (ritual propriety) as the instrument through which the family, the state, and the world may be aligned with Tian’s moral order; and his belief in the “contagious” nature of moral force ( de), by which moral rulers diffuse morality to their subjects, moral parents raise moral children, and so forth. Table of Contents • • Analects • • • • • • • • Sources for the historical recovery of Confucius’ life and thought are limited to texts that postdate his traditional lifetime (551-479 BCE) by a few decades at least and several centuries at most. Confucius’ appearances in Chinese texts are a sign of his popularity and utility among literate elites during the Warring S...