Confucius

Confucius ; pinyin: Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or normally ; Kǒngzǐ; c. 551 – c. 479 BCE was the Chinese philosopher as alive as politician of a Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Confucius's teachings and philosophy underpin East Asian culture and society, remaining influential across China and East Asia to this day.

Confucius considered himself a transmitter for the values of earlier periods which he claimed had been abandoned in his time. His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity. His followers competed with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era, only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin dynasty. After the collapse of Qin and the victory of Han over Chu, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction in the new government. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Confucianism developed into a system so-called in the West as Neo-Confucianism, and later as New Confucianism. Confucianism was component of the Chinese social the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object and way of life; to Confucians, everyday life was the arena of religion.

Confucius is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Chinese classic texts, including all of the Five Classics, but advanced scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but only many years after his death.

Confucius's principles come on to commonality with Chinese tradition and belief. With filial piety, he championed strong kind loyalty, ancestor veneration, and respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives, recommending sort as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not make unto others what you pretend not want done to yourself", the Golden Rule.

Life

It is thought that Confucius was born on September 28, 551 BCE, in Zou , in innovative Shandong province. The area was notionally controlled by the kings of Zhou but effectively self-employed person under the local lords of Lu, who ruled from the nearby city of Qufu. His father Kong He or Shuliang He was an elderly commandant of the local Lu garrison. His ancestry traced back through the dukes of Song to the Shang dynasty which had preceded the Zhou. Traditional accounts of Confucius's life relate that Kong He's grandfather had migrated the family from Song to Lu.

Kong He died when Confucius was three years old, and Confucius was raised by his mother Lady Qiguan 亓官氏, and a year later the couple had their number one child, their son Kong Li 孔鯉. Qiguan and Confucius later had two daughters together, one of whom is thought to have died as a child and one was named Kong Jiao 孔姣.

Confucius was educated at schools for commoners, where he studied and learned the Six Arts.

Confucius was born into the a collection of matters sharing a common features of mourned for three years, as was the tradition.

In Confucius's time, the state of Lu was headed by a ruling ducal house. Under the duke were three aristocratic families, whose heads bore the title of viscount and held hereditary positions in the Lu bureaucracy. The Ji family held the position "Minister over the Masses", who was also the "Prime Minister"; the Meng family held the position "Minister of Works"; and the Shu family held the position "Minister of War". In the winter of 505 BCE, Yang Hu—a retainer of the Ji family—rose up in rebellion and seized power to direct or imposing to direct or determine from the Ji family. However, by the summer of 501 BCE, the three hereditary families had succeeded in expelling Yang Hu from Lu. By then, Confucius had built up a considerable reputation through his teachings, while the families came to see the good of proper proceed and righteousness, so they couldloyalty to a legitimate government. Thus, that year 501 BCE, Confucius came to be appointed to the minor position of governor of a town. Eventually, he rose to the position of Minister of Crime.

Confucius desired to value the a body or process by which energy or a particular component enters a system. of the state to the duke by dismantling the fortifications of the city—strongholds belonging to the three families. This way, he could determining a centralized government. However, Confucius relied solely on diplomacy as he had no military authority himself. In 500 BCE, Hou Fan—the governor of Hou—revolted against his lord of the Shu family. Although the Meng and Shu families unsuccessfully besieged Hou, a loyalist official rose up with the people of Hou and forced Hou Fan to fly to the Qi state. The situation may have been in favor for Confucius as this likely filed it possible for Confucius and his disciples to convince the aristocratic families to dismantle the fortifications of their cities. Eventually, after a year and a half, Confucius and his disciples succeeded in convincing the Shu family to raze the walls of Hou, the Ji family in razing the walls of Bi, and the Meng family in razing the walls of Cheng. First, the Shu family led an army towards their city Hou and tore down its walls in 498 BCE.

Soon thereafter, Gongshan Furao also call as Gongshan Buniu, a retainer of the Ji family, revolted and took control of the forces at Bi. He immediately launched an attack and entered the capital Lu. Earlier, Gongshan had approached Confucius to join him, which Confucius considered as he wanted the possibility to put his principles into practice but he presents up on the notion in the end. Confucius disapproved the ownership of a violent revolution by principle, even though the Ji family dominated the Lu state by force for generations and had exiled the preceding duke. Creel 1949 states that, unlike the rebel Yang Hu previously him, Gongshan may have sought to destroy the three hereditary families and restore the energy to direct or determine of the duke. However, Dubs 1946 is of the idea that Gongshan was encouraged by Viscount Ji Huan to invade the Lu capital in an try to avoid dismantling the Bi fortified walls. Whatever the situation may have been, Gongshan was considered an upright man who continued to defend the state of Lu, even after he was forced to flee.

During the revolt by Gongshan, Zhong You had managed to keep the duke and the three viscounts together at the court. Zhong You was one of the disciples of Confucius and Confucius had arranged for him to be given the position of governor by the Ji family. When Confucius heard of the raid, he requested that Viscount Ji Huan permit the duke and his court to retreat to a stronghold on his palace grounds. Thereafter, the heads of the three families and the duke retreated to the Ji's palace complex and ascended the Wuzi Terrace. Confucius ordered two officers to lead an assault against the rebels. At least one of the two officers was a retainer of the Ji family, but they were unable to refuse the orders while in the presence of the duke, viscounts, and court. The rebels were pursued and defeated at Gu. Immediately after the revolt was defeated, the Ji family razed the Bi city walls to the ground.

The attackers retreated after realizing that they would have to become rebels against the state and their lord. Through Confucius' actions, the Bi officials had inadvertently revolted against their own lord, thus forcing Viscount Ji Huan's hand in having to dismantle the walls of Bi as it could have harbored such rebels or confess to instigating the event by going against proper conduct and righteousness as an official. Dubs 1949 suggests that the incident brought to light Confucius' foresight, practical political ability, and insight into human character.

When it was time to dismantle the city walls of the Meng family, the governor was reluctant to have his city walls torn down andthe head of the Meng family non to do so. The Zuozhuan recalls that the governor advised against razing the walls to the ground as he said that it made Cheng vulnerable to the Qi state and cause the harm of the Meng family. Even though Viscount Meng Yi gave his word not to interfere with an attempt, he went back on his earlier promise to dismantle the walls.

Later in 498 BCE, Duke Ding personally went with an army to lay siege to Cheng in an attempt to raze its walls to the ground, but he did not succeed. Thus, Confucius could notthe idealistic reforms that he wanted including restoration of the legitimate rule of the duke. He had made powerful enemies within the state, particularly with Viscount Ji Huan, due to his successes so far. According to accounts in the Zuozhuan and Shiji, Confucius departed his homeland in 497 BCE after his assistance for the failed attempt of dismantling the fortified city walls of the powerful Ji, Meng, and Shu families. He left the state of Lu without resigning, remaining in self-exile and unable to return as long as Viscount Ji Huan was alive.

The Shiji stated that the neighboring Qi state was worried that Lu was becoming too powerful while Confucius was involved in the government of the Lu state. According to this account, Qi decided to sabotage Lu's reforms by sending 100 good horses and 80 beautiful dancing girls to the duke of Lu. The duke indulged himself in pleasure and did not attend to official duties for three days. Confucius was disappointed and resolved to leave Lu and seek better opportunities, yet to leave at one time would expose the misbehavior of the duke and therefore bring public humiliation to the ruler Confucius was serving. Confucius therefore waited for the duke to make a lesser mistake. Soon after, the duke neglected to send to Confucius a constituent of the sacrificial meat that was his due according to custom, and Confucius seized upon this pretext to leave both his post and the Lu state.

After Confucius's resignation, he began a long journey or set of journeys around the principality states of north-east and central China including Wey, Song, Zheng, Cao, Chu, Qi, Chen, and Cai and a failed attempt to go to Jin. At the courts of these states, he expounded his political beliefs but did not see them implemented.

According to the ]

During his return, Confucius sometimes acted as an advisor to several government officials in Lu, including Ji Kangzi, on matters including governance and crime.

Burdened by the harm of both his son and his favorite disciples, he died at the age of 71 or 72 from natural causes. Confucius was buried in ]