Confucius, known in Chinese as Kong Fuzi or Kongzi, was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and educator. His teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese culture and society and much of East Asia. He was born in 551 BC in the state of Lu, which corresponds to present-day Shandong Province.
He was born into an impoverished noble family. From a young age he showed a great thirst for knowledge and dedicated his life to teaching and promoting ethical principles and government. He is believed to have held several government posts in his lifetime, although he was not always successful in his attempts to implement his ideas in politics.
Confucius’ philosophy focuses on personal and governmental morality, the correctness of social relations, justice and sincerity. His teachings were collected in the “Lunyu” or “Analects of Confucius” (a collection of sayings and conversations between Confucius and his disciples).
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Key Confucian principles
- Ren (仁): generally translated as “benevolence” or “humanity,” is the central principle of Confucian ethics.
- Li (礼): reflects the standards of appropriate behavior, rituals and ceremonies that maintain social harmony.
- Yi (义): righteousness and justice.
- Zhi (智): the wisdom.
- Xin (信): fidelity and trust.
The influence of this philosopher on Chinese and other Asian cultures has been profound. Confucianism became the dominant ideology in China during the Han Dynasty and continued to be influential in Chinese politics and culture for more than two thousand years.
He is considered the first professional teacher in China. He thought of education as a way of cultivating virtue and wisdom. He founded a school where he taught students from all social classes, something unusual in his time.
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