Confucius
Confucius, in Chinese Kongfuzi or K'ung Fu-tzu (551?-479? bc), Chinese
philosopher, one of the most influential figures in Chinese history.
According to tradition, Confucius was born in the state of Lu (present-day
Shandong [Shantung] Province) of the noble Kong clan. His original name
was Kong Qiu (K‚ong Ch‚iu). His father, commander of a district
in Lu, died three years after Confucius was born, leaving the family
in poverty; but Confucius nevertheless received a fine education. He
was married at the age of 19 and had one son and two daughters.
During the four years immediately after his marriage, poverty compelled
him to perform menial labors for the chief of the district in which
he lived. His mother died in 527 bc, and after a period of mourning
he began his career as a teacher, usually traveling about and instructing
the small body of disciples that had gathered around him. His fame as
a man of learning and character and his reverence for Chinese ideals
and customs soon spread through the principality of Lu.
Living as he did in the second half of the Zhou dynasty (Chou dynasty;
1045?-256 bc), when feudalism degenerated in China and intrigue and
vice were rampant, Confucius deplored the contemporary disorder and
lack of moral standards. He came to believe that the only remedy was
to convert people once more to the principles and precepts of the sages
of antiquity. He therefore lectured to his pupils on the ancient classics.
He taught the great value of the power of example. Rulers, he said,
can be great only if they themselves lead exemplary lives, and were
they willing to be guided by moral principles, their states would inevitably
become prosperous and happy.
Confucius had, however, no opportunity to put his theories to a public
test until, at the age of 50, he was appointed magistrate of Zhongdu
(Chung-tu), and the next year minister of crime of the state of Lu.
His administration was successful; reforms were introduced, justice
was fairly dispensed, and crime was almost eliminated. So powerful did
Lu become that the ruler of a neighboring state maneuvered to secure
the minister's dismissal. Confucius left his office in 496 bc, traveling
about and teaching, vainly hoping that some other prince would allow
him to undertake measures of reform. In 484 bc, after a fruitless search
for an ideal ruler, he returned for the last time to Lu. He spent the
remaining years of his life in retirement, writing commentaries on the
classics. He died in Lu and was buried in a tomb at Qufu (Ch'ü-fu),
Shandong.
Confucius did not put into
writing the principles of his philosophy; these were handed down only
through his disciples. Lunyu (The Analects), a work compiled by some
of his disciples, is considered the most reliable source of information
about his life and teachings. One of the historical works that he is
said to have compiled and edited, the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals),
is an account of Chinese history in the state of Lu from 722 to 481
bc.
In learning he wished to be known as a transmitter rather than as a
creator, and he therefore revived the study of the ancient books. His
own teachings, together with those of his main disciples, are found
in the SiShu (Ssu Shu; Four Books) of Confucian literature, which became
the textbooks of later Chinese generations. Confucius was greatly venerated
during his lifetime and in succeeding ages. Although he himself had
little belief in the supernatural, he has been revered almost as a spiritual
being by millions.
The entire teaching of Confucius was practical and ethical, rather than
religious. He claimed to be a restorer of ancient morality and held
that proper outward acts based on the five virtues of kindness, uprightness,
decorum, wisdom, and faithfulness constitute the whole of human duty.
Reverence for parents, living and dead, was one of his key concepts.
His view of government was paternalistic, and he enjoined all individuals
to observe carefully their duties toward the state. In subsequent centuries
his teachings exerted a powerful influence on the Chinese nation.
Confucianism
Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu), born in the state of Lu (northern China),
lived from 551 to 479 B.C. He was a brilliant teacher, viewing education
not merely as the accumulation of knowledge but as a means of self-transformation.
His legacy was a system of thought emphasizing education, proper behavior,
and loyalty. His effect on Chinese culture was immense.
The teachings of Confucius are contained in the Analects, a collection
of his sayings as remembered by his students. They were further developed
by philosophers such as Mencius (Meng Tse, fl. 400 B.C.). Confucianism
is little concerned with metaphysical discussion of religion or with
spiritual attainments. It instead emphasizes moral conduct and right
relationships in the human sphere.
Cultivation of virtue is a central tenet of Confucianism. Two important
virtues are jen, a benevolent and humanitarian attitude, and li, maintaining
proper relationships and rituals that enhance the life of the individual,
the family, and the state. The „five relations,‰ between
king and subject, father and son, man and wife, older and younger brother,
and friend and friend, are of utmost importance. These relationships
are reinforced by participation in rituals, including the formal procedures
of court life and religious rituals such as ancestor worship.
Confucius revolutionized educational thought in China. He believed that
learning was not to be focused only on attaining the skills for a particular
profession, but for growth in moral judgment and self-realization. Confucius's
standards for the proper conduct of government shaped the statecraft
of China for centuries. Hundreds of temples in honor of Confucius testify
to his stature as sage and teacher.
Confucianism was far less dominant in 20th-century China, at least on
an official level. The state cult of Confucius was ended in 1911. Still,
Confucian traditions and moral standards are part of the cultural essence
of China and other East Asian countries.
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