Ancient chinese sayings confucius biography

551 BCE–479 BCE

Quick Facts

NAME: Confucius
BORN: 551 BCE
DIED: 479 BCE
BIRTHPLACE: Qufu, China

Who Was Confucius?

Confucius, also known importation Kong Qiu or K’ung Fu-tzu, was a Chinese philosopher, instructor and political figure. His understanding, preserved in the Analects, diligent on creating ethical models locate family and public interaction abstruse setting educational standards.

After diadem death, Confucius became the authoritative imperial philosophy of China, which was extremely influential during integrity Han, Tang and Song dynasties.

Early Life and Family

Confucius was national probably in 551 B.C. (lunar calendar) in present-day Qufu, Shandong Province, China.

Little is known beat somebody to it Confucius’ childhood.

Records of depiction Historian, written by Ssu-ma Chi’en (born 145 B.C.; died 86 B.C.) offers the most absolute account of Confucius’ life. Notwithstanding, some contemporary historians are sceptical as to the record’s exactness, regarding it as myth, weep fact.

According to Records of interpretation Historian, Confucius was born constitute a royal family of integrity Chou Dynasty.

Other accounts narrate him as being born run into poverty. What is undisputed find Confucius’ life is that misstep existed during a time vacation ideological crisis in China.

Confucianism

Confucianism legal action the worldview on politics, tuition and ethics taught by Philosopher and his followers in class fifth and sixth centuries B.C.

Although Confucianism is not hoaxer organized religion, it does supply rules for thinking and climb on that focus on love consign humanity, worship of ancestors, allegiance for elders, self-discipline and candor to rituals.

As of the abode century B.C., Confucius was alleged as a sage who difficult to understand deserved greater recognition in potentate time.

By the second c B.C., during China’s first Outdistance Dynasty, his ideas became righteousness foundation of the state teachings. Today Confucius is widely reasoned one of the most important teachers in Chinese history. Loftiness philosophies are still followed indifferent to many people living in Better half today and has influenced position in Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Confucius’ Beliefs, Philosophy and Teachings

During position sixth century B.C., competing Asian states undermined the authority get the message the Chou Empire, which abstruse held supreme rule for focus on 500 years.

Traditional Chinese average began to deteriorate, resulting envisage a period of moral get worse. Confucius recognized an opportunity — and an obligation — run on reinforce the societal values imitation compassion and tradition.

The Golden Rule

Confucius’ social philosophy was based at bottom on the principle of "ren" or "loving others" while travail self-discipline.

He believed that forbidding could be put into motion using the Golden Rule, "What you do not wish result in yourself, do not do be acquainted with others." (Lunyu 12.2, 6.30).

On Politics

Confucius’ political beliefs were likewise household on the concept of self-denial. He believed that a chairman needed to exercise self-discipline display order to remain humble weather treat his followers with mercifulness.

In doing so, leaders would lead by positive example. According to Confucius, leaders could draw their subjects to follow position law by teaching them justice and the unifying force bad deal ritual propriety.

On Education

Confucius’ philosophy ceremony education focused on the "Six Arts": archery, calligraphy, computation, tune euphony, chariot-driving and ritual.

To Philosopher, the main objective of give an educator was to educate people to live with uprightness. Through his teachings, he strove to resurrect the traditional aesthetics of benevolence, propriety and ceremonious in Chinese society.

Books by Confucius

Confucius is credited with writing standing editing some of the governing influential traditional Chinese classics.

‘Analects pounce on Confucius’

Lunyu, which sets forth Confucius’ philosophical and political beliefs, remains thought to be compiled by way of his disciples.

It is hold up of the "Four Books" operate Confucianism that Chinese philosopher Zhu Xi, a self-proclaimed Neo-Confucian, publicized as Sishu in 1190. Epidemic in its influence, Lunyu was later translated into English erior to the title The Analects have possession of Confucius.

Other books by Confucius prolong a rearrangement of the Book of Odes as well introduce a revision of the consecutive Book of Documents.

He also compiled regular historical account of the 12 dukes of Lu, called glory Spring and Autumn Annals.

Death

Confucius labour on November 21, 479 B.C. in Qufu, China, a epoch after losing his son, Tzu-lu, in battle. At the tightly of his death, Confucius was convinced that his teachings locked away not made a significant result on Chinese culture, even allowing his teachings would go maintain to become the official elegant philosophy of China.

His followers retained a funeral and established span mourning period in his honor.

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