The Life and Legacy of Confucius Explained
Confucius (kuhn FYOO shuhs) (551–479 B.C.) was one of the most influential and respected philosophers in Chinese history. From the 100s B.C. to the early 1900s A.D., his ideas, known as Confucianism, shaped Chinese society more than any other influence. Confucianism emphasizes building moral character and taking responsibility. The name Confucius is the Latinized version of the title Kongfuzi, meaning Great Master Kong.
The Chinese governments adopted Confucius’ teachings as the official state philosophy. Millions in China, as well as in nearby countries like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, honored Confucius much like others honor the founders of religions.
Confucius, whose real name was Kong Qiu, was born in the duchy of Lu, now part of Shandong Province, China. Orphaned at a young age, he came from a family of petty aristocracy that had fallen on hard times. Despite these challenges, he became a prolific scholar and stood out as part of the ru (ju) class—wandering scholars, often from once-noble families, who traveled from court to court offering their expertise as teachers, ritual masters, astronomers, and specialists in calendar calculations.
Confucius lived during China’s Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 B.C.), the later years of the Zhou Dynasty, a time when its feudal system was slowly breaking apart and giving way to the chaos of the Warring States period. A strong advocate for education as essential to self-cultivation, he gained renown by founding China’s first school of learning over a century before Plato opened his academy in Athens. Before this, education had been a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
Confucius tried but failed to become an adviser to a wise ruler, a role he hoped would let him put his ideas for reforming society into action. Although he held a few minor official posts, he remained mostly unknown across China during his lifetime. It was his disciples who later spread his teachings far and wide.
There’s no book that can be confirmed as written by Confucius himself, but his conversations and sayings were compiled by his disciples in a work known as the Analects.
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