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Chinese philosophy
Ancient philosophy
孔夫子
Name
孔丘 Kong Qiu
Birth September 28, 551 BCE
Qufu, China
Death 479 BCE
Qufu, China
School/tradition Founder of Confucianism
Main interests Moral philosophy, Social philosophy, Ethics
Notable ideas Confucianism
Influenced by Zhou Era Chinese Thought
Influenced Many Eastern philosophers
This article contains Chinese text. This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the end of Hellenistic Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Social philosophy is the philosophical study of questions about social Behavior (typically of Humans. Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of Asia, including Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy, Persian
Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (

Confucius (Chinese: 孔夫子; pinyin: Kǒng Fūzǐ; Wade-Giles: K'ung-fu-tzu), lit. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin "Master Kung,"[1] September 28, 551 BCE - 479 BCE) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese thought and life. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of Asia, including Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy, Persian Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of Asia, including Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy, Persian The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history This article is about the traditional culture of Korea. For the modern culture see Culture of North Korea and Culture of South Korea The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over millenia from the country's prehistoric Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture which combines influences from Asia The Culture of Vietnam which is the agricultural civilization based on Wet rice cultivating is one of the oldest of such in the Asia Pacific region

His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings Social relation can refer to a multitude of Social interactions regulated by Social norms between two or more people with each having a Social position JUSTICE is a Human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. Sincerity is the Virtue of one who speaks truly about his or her own feelings thoughts desires These values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Legalism (法家) or Taoism (道家) during the Han Dynasty[2][3][4] (206 BC–220 AD). China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In Chinese history, Legalism ( was one of the four main philosophic schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (the other Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Confucius' thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism (儒家). Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B It was introduced to Europe by the Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who was the first to Latinise the name as "Confucius. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Matteo Ricci SJ ( October 6 1552 &ndash May 11 1610;; Courtesy name: 西泰 Xītài was an Italian Jesuit priest "

His teachings may be found in the Analects of Confucius (論語), a collection of "brief aphoristic fragments", which was compiled many years after his death. The Analects ( also known as the Analects of Confucius, are a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher Modern historians do not believe that any specific documents can be said to have been written by Confucius,[5][6] but for nearly 2,000 years he was thought to be the editor or author of all the Five Classics[7][8] such as the Classic of Rites (editor), and the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋) (author). The Five Classics ( is a corpus of five ancient Chinese books used by Confucianism as the basis of studies The Classic of Rites ( was one of the Five Classics of the Confucian canon The Spring and Autumn Annals ( is the official chronicle of the State of Lu covering the period from 722 BCE to 481 BCE.

Contents

Personal life and family

According to tradition, Confucius was born in 551 BC. This is a sub-article to Religion and Childbirth. There are several reports of unusual religious childbirths. Spring and Autumn Period, at the beginning of the Hundred Schools of Thought philosophical movement. The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC The Hundred Schools of Thought ( were philosophers and schools that had flourished from 770 to 221 BC an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China. Confucius was born in or near the city of Qufu, in the Chinese State of Lu (now part of Shandong Province). Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ Lu ( was an ancient state in China during the Spring and Autumn Period. ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. Early accounts say that he was born into a poor but noble family that had fallen on hard times. [9]

The Records of the Grand Historian (史記), compiled some four centuries later, indicate that the marriage of Confucius' parents did not conform to Li (禮) and therefore was a yehe (野合), or "illicit union",[10] for when they got married, his father was a very old man and past proper age for marriage but his mother was only in her late teens. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC His father died when he was three,[11] and he was brought up in poverty by his mother. His social ascendancy linked him to the growing class of shì (士), a class whose status lay between that of the old nobility and the common people, that comprised men who sought social positions on the basis of talents and skills, rather than heredity. Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime

As a child, Confucius was said to have enjoyed putting ritual vases on the sacrifice table. List This is a list of Chinese names of bronze vessels: ding (鼎 dou (豆 dui (敦 [10] He married a young girl named Qi Quan (亓官) at nineteen and she had their first child Kong Li (孔鯉) when he was twenty. Confucius is reported to have worked as a shepherd, cowherd, clerk and book-keeper. [12] When Confucius was twenty-three, his mother died and he entered three years of mourning.

He is said to have risen to the position of Justice Minister (大司寇) in Lu at fifty-three. [13] According to the Records of the Grand Historian, the neighboring state of Qi (齊) was worried that Lu was becoming too powerful. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC Qi ( 齊; Pinyin: Qí was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States. Qi decided to sabotage Lu's reforms by sending one hundred good horses and eighty 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 deeply disappointed and resolved to leave Lu and seek better opportunities. Yet to leave at once would expose the misbehavior of the Duke and therefore bring public humiliation to the ruler Confucius was serving, so Confucius waited for the Duke to make a lesser mistake. Soon after, the Duke neglected to send to Confucius a portion of the sacrificial meat that was his due according to custom, and Confucius seized this pretext to leave both his post and the state of Lu. [10][14]

While some early sources picture the state of Lu as well regulated, due, in part, to the wise administration of Confucius, many scholars think this is unlikely, and hold that Confucius in fact never held any major position, either in Lu or anywhere else.

According to tradition, after Confucius's resignation, he began a long journey (or set of journeys) around the small kingdoms of northeast and central China, including the states of Wei (魏), Song (宋), Chen (陳) and Cai (蔡). The following details the state of Wei of the Warring States Period. Sòng (宋國 was a state during the Eastern Zhou Spring and Autumn Period ( 770 - 476 BC) Chen (陳 was a minor state of the Spring and Autumn Period in Ancient China The State of Cài ( was a Chinese State during the Zhōu Dynasty (1122–256 BC prominent in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC before [15] At the courts of these states, he expounded his political beliefs but did not see them implemented.

According to the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals, at sixty-eight[13] Confucius returned home. The Analects pictures him spending his last years teaching disciples and transmitting the old wisdom via a set of texts called the Five Classics. The Five Classics ( is a corpus of five ancient Chinese books used by Confucianism as the basis of studies [16][17]

Burdened by the loss of both his son and his favorite disciples,[18][19] he died at the age of 72 (or 73). [20]

Teachings

In the Analects论语, Confucius presents himself as a "transmitter who invented nothing". The Analects ( also known as the Analects of Confucius, are a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher [7] He put the greatest emphasis on the importance of study,[21][22] and it is the Chinese character for study (or learning) that opens the text. A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese ( In this respect, he is seen by Chinese people as the Greatest Master. [23] Far from trying to build a systematic theory of life and society or establish a formalism of rites, he wanted his disciples to think deeply for themselves and relentlessly study the outside world,[24] mostly through the old scriptures and by relating the moral problems of the present to past political events (like the Annals) or past expressions of feelings by common people and reflective members of the elite (preserved in the poems of the Book of Odes[25]). Life is a state that distinguishes Organisms from non-living objects such as non-life and dead organisms being manifested by growth through Metabolism A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions [26]

In times of division, chaos, and endless wars between feudal states, he wanted to restore the Mandate of Heaven “天命” that could unify the "world" (i. The Mandate of Heaven (天命 Pīnyīn: Tiānmìng is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers e. China) and bestow peace and prosperity on the people. [27] Because his vision of personal and social perfections was framed as a revival of the ordered society of earlier times, Confucius is often considered a great proponent of conservatism, but a closer look at what he proposes often shows that he used (and perhaps twisted) past institutions and rites to push a new political agenda of his own: a revival of a unified royal state, whose rulers would succeed to power on the basis of their moral merit, not their parentage;[28][29] these would be rulers devoted to their people, reaching for personal and social perfection. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Perfection is broadly a state of completeness and flawlessness [30] Such a ruler would spread his own virtues to the people instead of imposing proper behavior with laws and rules. [31]

One of the deepest teachings of Confucius may have been the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behavior. Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or Reactions of an object or Organism, usually Because his moral teachings emphasise self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules, Confucius's ethics may be considered a type of virtue ethics. Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Virtue theory is a branch of Moral philosophy that emphasizes character rather than rules or consequences as the key element of ethical thinking His teachings rarely rely on reasoned argument, and ethical ideals and methods are conveyed more indirectly, through allusions, innuendo, and even tautology. An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference or representation of or to a well-known person place event literary work myth, or work of art An innuendo (also called insinuation) is a remark or question typically disparaging that works obliquely by Allusion. In Rhetoric, a tautology is an unnecessary (and usually unintentional repetition of meaning using different words that effectively say the same thing twice (often originally This is why his teachings need to be examined and put into proper context in order to be understood. [32][33] A good example is found in this famous anecdote:

厩焚。子退朝，曰：“伤人乎？”不问马。
When the stables were burnt down, on returning from court, Confucius said, "Was anyone hurt?" He did not ask about the horses.
Analects X. 11, tr. A. Waley

The anecdote is not long, but it is of paramount importance. In his time horses were perhaps 10 times more expensive than stablemen. The passage conveys the lesson that by not asking about the horses, Confucius demonstrated that a sage values human beings over property; readers of this lesson are led to reflect on whether their response would follow Confucius's, and to pursue ethical self-improvement if it would not. Confucius, an exemplar of human excellence, serves as the ultimate model, rather than a deity or a universally true set of abstract principles. For these reasons, according to many Eastern and Western commentators, Confucius's teaching may be considered a Chinese example of humanism. Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal [34]

Perhaps his most famous teaching was the Golden Rule stated in the negative form, often called the silver rule:

子貢問曰、有一言、而可以終身行之者乎。子曰、其恕乎、己所 不欲、勿施於人。
Adept Kung asked: "Is there any one word that could guide a person throughout life?"
The Master replied: "How about 'shu': never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself?"
Analects XV. The ethic of reciprocity is a fundamental moral Value which " refers to the balance in an interactive system such that each party has both rights and Related to the ethical principle of the golden rule, the silver rule is most commonly understood to be "Do not do to others as you would not have them do to you" or 24, tr. David Hinton

Confucius's teachings were later turned into a very elaborate set of rules and practices by his numerous disciples and followers who organised his teachings into the Analects. The Analects ( also known as the Analects of Confucius, are a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher In the centuries after his death, Mencius[35] and Xun Zi[36] both composed important teachings elaborating in different ways on the fundamental ideas associated with Confucius. Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp Xun Zi ( ca 300 – 230 BCE was a Chinese Confucian Philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed In time, these writings, together with the Analects and other core texts came to constitute the philosophical corpus known in the West as Confucianism. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B After more than a thousand years, the scholar Zhu Xi created a very different interpretation of Confucianism which is now called Neo-Confucianism, to distinguish it from the ideas expressed in the Analects. Zhu Xi or Chu Hsi (朱熹 born October 18, 1130, Yuxi, Fujian province China &ndash died April 23, 1200 Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Neo-Confucianism held sway in China and Vietnam[37] until the 1800s. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially

Names

Confucius (illustration from Myths & Legends of China, 1922, by E.T.C. Werner)
Confucius (illustration from Myths & Legends of China, 1922, by E. T. C. Werner)

(In Wade-Giles translation by D. C. Lau, this name appears as Kung Ch'iu. )

Philosophy

Main article: Confucianism
A portrait of Confucius, by Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi (680-740).
A portrait of Confucius, by Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi (680-740). Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B See Portrait for more about the general topic of portraits Portrait painting is a genre in Painting, where the intent is to The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Wu Daozi or Wu Tao-tzu ( 680-740 was a Chinese artist of the Tang Dynasty, famous for initiating new myths in his artwork

Although Confucianism is often followed in a religious manner by the Chinese, arguments continue over whether it is a religion. Confucianism lacks an afterlife, its texts express complex and ambivalent views concerning deities, and it is relatively unconcerned with some spiritual matters often considered essential to religious thought, such as the nature of the soul. AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living

Confucius' principles gained wide acceptance primarily because of their basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong familial loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children (and, according to later interpreters, of husbands by their wives), and the family as a basis for an ideal government. He expressed the well-known principle, "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself" (similar to the Golden Rule). The ethic of reciprocity is a fundamental moral Value which " refers to the balance in an interactive system such that each party has both rights and He also looked nostalgically upon earlier days, and urged the Chinese, particularly those with political power, to model themselves on earlier examples. "The superior man seeks for it in himself. The petty man seeks for it in others"

Because no texts survive that are demonstrably authored by Confucius, and the ideas associated with him most closely were elaborated in writings that accrued over the period between his death and the foundation of the first Chinese empire in 221 BCE, many scholars are very cautious about attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself.

Ethics

The Confucian theory of ethics as exemplified in Lǐ is based on three important conceptual aspects of life: ceremonies associated with sacrifice to ancestors and deities of various types, social and political institutions, and the etiquette of daily behavior. Li (禮 Pinyin: Lǐ is a classical Chinese Ideograph which finds its most extensive use in Confucian and post-Confucian Chinese philosophy It was believed by some that lǐ originated from the heavens. Confucius's view was more nuanced. His approach stressed the development of lǐ through the actions of sage leaders in human history, with less emphasis on its connection with heaven. His discussions of lǐ seem to redefine the term to refer to all actions committed by a person to build the ideal society, rather than those simply conforming with canonical standards of ceremony. In the early Confucian tradition, lǐ, though still linked to traditional forms of action, came to point towards the balance between maintaining these norms so as to perpetuate an ethical social fabric, and violating them in order to accomplish ethical good. These concepts are about doing the proper thing at the proper time, and are connected to the belief that training in the lǐ that past sages have devised cultivates in people virtues that include ethical judgment about when lǐ must be adapted in light of situational contexts.

In early Confucianism, yì (義 [义]) and lǐ are closely linked terms. Yì can be translated as righteousness, though it may simply mean what is ethically best to do in a certain context. Righteousness in this article refers to the important theological concept in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The term contrasts with action done out of self-interest. While pursuing one's own self-interest is not necessarily bad, one would be a better, more righteous person if one based one's life upon following a path designed to enhance the greater good, an outcome of yì. This is doing the right thing for the right reason. Yì is based upon reciprocity.

Just as action according to Lǐ should be adapted to conform to the aspiration of adhering to yì, so yì is linked to the core value of rén (仁). Li (禮 Pinyin: Lǐ is a classical Chinese Ideograph which finds its most extensive use in Confucian and post-Confucian Chinese philosophy Rén is the virtue of perfectly fulfilling one's responsibilities toward others, most often translated as "benevolence" or "humaneness"; translator Arthur Waley calls it "Goodness" (with a capital G), and other translations that have been put forth include "authoritativeness" and "selflessness. Arthur David Waley CH ( August 19, 1889 &ndash June 27, 1966) was a noted English Orientalist and Sinologist " Confucius's moral system was based upon empathy and understanding others, rather than divinely ordained rules. Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another's state of mind or Emotion. To develop one's spontaneous responses of rén so that these could guide action intuitively was even better than living by the rules of yì. To cultivate one's attentiveness to rén one used another Confucian version of the Golden Rule: one must always treat others just as one would want others to treat oneself. Virtue, in this Confucian view, is based upon harmony with other people, produced through this type of ethical practice by a growing identification of the interests of self and other. Virtue ( Latin virtus; Greek) is moral Excellence. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual

In this regard, Confucius articulated an early version of the Golden Rule:

Politics

Confucius' political thought is based upon his ethical thought. He argues that the best government is one that rules through "rites" (lǐ) and people's natural morality, rather than by using bribery and coercion. He explained that this is one of the most important analects: 1. "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good. " (Translated by James Legge) {The Great Learning} This "sense of shame" is an internalisation of duty, where the punishment precedes the evil action, instead of following it in the form of laws as in Legalism. Life James Legge was born at Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and then Kings College Aberdeen. Duty (from "due" that which is owing O Fr deu did past participle of devoir Lat In Chinese history, Legalism ( was one of the four main philosophic schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (the other

While he supported the idea of government by an all-powerful sage, ruling as an Emperor, probably because of the chaotic state of China at his time, his ideas contained a number of elements to limit the power of rulers. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of He argued for according language with truth; thus honesty was of paramount importance. The meaning of the word truth extends from Honesty, Good faith, and Sincerity in general to agreement with Fact or Reality Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting Truthfully related to Truth as a value Even in facial expression, truth must always be represented. A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the Muscles of the Face. In discussing the relationship between a subject and his king (or a son and his father), he underlined the need to give due respect to superiors. This demanded that the inferior must give advice to his superior if the superior was considered to be taking the wrong course of action. This was built upon a century after Confucius's death by his latter day disciple Mencius, who argued that if the king was not acting like a king, he would lose the Mandate of Heaven and be overthrown. Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp The Mandate of Heaven (天命 Pīnyīn: Tiānmìng is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers Therefore, tyrannicide is justified because a tyrant is more a thief than a king. Tyrannicide literally means the killing of a Tyrant. Typically the term is taken to mean the killing or Assassination of tyrants for the common good In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. Other Confucian texts, though celebrating absolute rule by ethical sages, recognise the failings of real rulers in maxims such as, "An oppressive government is more feared than a tiger. "

Some well known Confucian quotes:

"When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them. "

"What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others"

"With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my crooked arm for a pillow - is not joy to be found therein? Riches and honors acquired through unrighteousness are to me as the floating clouds"

Disciples and legacy

Main article: Disciples of Confucius

Confucius' disciples and his only grandson, Zisi, continued his philosophical school after his death. Sima Qian has Confucius saying The disciples who received my instructions and could themselves comprehend them were seventy-seven individuals Zisi ( ca 481–402 BCE born Kong Ji ( 孔[[wikt 伋|伋]] was a Chinese philosopher. These efforts spread Confucian ideals to students who then became officials in many of the royal courts in China, thereby giving Confucianism the first wide-scale test of its dogma. While relying heavily on Confucius' ethico-political system, two of his most famous later followers emphasized radically different aspects of his teachings. Mencius (4th century BCE) articulated the innate goodness in human beings as a source of the ethical intuitions that guide people towards rén, yì, and lǐ, while Xun Zi (3rd century BCE) underscored the realistic and materialistic aspects of Confucian thought, stressing that morality was inculcated in society through tradition and in individuals through training. Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp Xun Zi ( ca 300 – 230 BCE was a Chinese Confucian Philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed

This realignment in Confucian thought was parallel to the development of Legalism, which saw filial piety as self-interest and not a useful tool for a ruler to create an effective state. A disagreement between these two political philosophies came to a head in 223 BC when the Qin state conquered all of China. Events By place Seleucid Empire The Seleucid king Seleucus III is assassinated in Phrygia by members of his army Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods Li Ssu, Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty convinced Qin Shi Huang to abandon the Confucians' recommendation of awarding fiefs akin to the Zhou Dynasty before them which he saw as counter to the Legalist idea of centralizing the state around the ruler. Li Si ( (ca 280 BC - September or October 208 BC was the influential Prime Minister (or Chancellor of the feudal state and later of the dynasty of Qin, between Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China Qin Shi Huang ( (259 BC – September 10 210 BC personal name Yíng Zhèng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (during the The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. When the Confucian advisers pressed their point, Li Ssu had many Confucian scholars killed and their books burned - considered a huge blow to the philosophy and Chinese scholarship.

Under the succeeding Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, Confucian ideas gained even more widespread prominence. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Under Wudi, the works of Confucius were made the official imperial philosophy and required reading for civil service examinations in 140 BC which was continued nearly unbroken until the end of the 19th Century. Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, As Moism lost support by the time of the Han, the main philosophical contenders were Legalism which Confucian thought somewhat absorbed, the teachings of Lao-tzu whose focus on more mystic ideas kept it from direct conflict with Confucianism, and the new Buddhist religion which gained acceptance during the Southern and Northern Dynasties era. Mohism or Moism ( was a Chinese philosophy developed by the followers of Mozi (also referred to as Mo Di 470 &ndashc Laozi ( also Lao Tse, Lao-Tzu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations was a philosopher of ancient Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices This article is about the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China.

During the Song Dynasty, the scholar Zhu Xi (1130-1200 CE) added ideas from Daoism and Buddhism into Confucianism. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Zhu Xi or Chu Hsi (朱熹 born October 18, 1130, Yuxi, Fujian province China &ndash died April 23, 1200 Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices In his life, Zhu Xi was largely ignored but not long after his death his ideas became the new orthodox view on what Confucian texts actually meant. Modern historians view Zhu Xi as having created something rather different and call his way of thinking Neo-Confucianism. Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Both Confucian ideas and Confucian-trained officials were relied upon in the Ming Dynasty and even the Yuan Dynasty although Kublai Khan distrusted handing over provincial control. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai In the modern era, there are still some Confucian scholars in a movement sometimes called New Confucianism but during the Cultural Revolution, Confucianism was frequently attacked by leading figures in the Communist Party of China. New Confucianism ( "Contemporary New Confucianism" is a new movement of Confucianism that began in the twentieth century The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China was a struggle for power within the Communist Party of China that manifested into The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the This was partially a continuation of the condemnations of Confucianism by intellectuals and activists in the early 20th Century as a cause of the ethnocentric close-mindedness and refusal of the Qing Dynasty to modernize that led to the tragedies that befell China in the 19th Century. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China

In modern times, Asteroid 7853, "Confucius," was named after the Chinese thinker.

Quote: "Respect yourself and others will respect you. "
 Quote: "Today I have seen Lao-tzu and can only compare him to the dragon. "[39]

Memorial ceremony of Confucius

The Chinese have a tradition of holding spectacular memorial ceremonies of Confucius (祭孔) every year, using ceremonies that supposedly derived from Zhou Li 周禮 as recorded by Confucius, on the date of Confucius' birth. This tradition was interrupted for several decades in mainland China, where the official stance of the Communist Party and the State was that Confucius and Confucianism represented reactionary feudalist beliefs where it is held that the subservience of the people to the aristocracy is a part of the natural order. All such ceremonies and rites were therefore banned. Only after the 1990s, did the ceremony resume. As it is now considered a veneration of Chinese history and tradition, even communist party members may be found in attendance.

In Taiwan, where the Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang) strongly promoted Confucian beliefs in ethics and behavior, the tradition of memorial ceremony of Confucius (祭孔) is supported by the government and has continued without interruption. While not a national holiday, it does appear on all printed calendars, much as Father's Day does in the West.

Influence in Asia and Europe

"Life and works of Confucius, by Prospero Intorcetta, 1687.
"Life and works of Confucius, by Prospero Intorcetta, 1687.

Confucius's works, words are studied by many scholars in many other Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc. And many of those countries still hold the traditional memorial ceremony every year.

The works of Confucius were translated into European languages through the agency of Jesuit scholars stationed in China[40]. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Matteo Ricci started to report on the thoughts of Confucius, and father Prospero Intorcetta published the life and works of Confucius into Latin in 1687. Matteo Ricci SJ ( October 6 1552 &ndash May 11 1610;; Courtesy name: 西泰 Xītài was an Italian Jesuit priest Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. [41] It is thought that such works had considerable importance on European thinkers of the period, particularly among the Deists and other philosophical groups of the Enlightenment who were interested by the integration of the system of morality of Confucius into Western civilization. Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century [42][43]

Home town

Soon after Confucius' death, Qufu, his hometown in the state of Lu and now in present-day Shandong Province, became a place of devotion and remembrance. Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ Lu ( was an ancient state in China during the Spring and Autumn Period. ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. It is still a major destination for cultural tourism, and many Chinese people visit his grave and the surrounding temples. In pan-China cultures, there are many temples where representations of the Buddha, Laozi and Confucius are found together. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Laozi ( also Lao Tse, Lao-Tzu, Laotze, Lao Zi, Laocius, and other variations was a philosopher of ancient There are also many temples dedicated to him, which have been used for Confucianist ceremonies. A Temple of Confucius or Confucian temple ( is a Temple devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism

Descendants

Confucius' descendants were repeatedly identified and honored by successive imperial governments with titles of nobility and official posts. They were honored with the rank of a marquis thirty-five times since Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, and they were promoted to the rank of duke forty-two times from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. A marquess (ˈmɑrkwɪs or marquis (/mɑrˈkiː/ is a Nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies and some of their colonies Early life Liú Bāng was born into a lower class farming family in Pei (present Pei County in Jiangsu Province) A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Emperor Xuanzong of Tang first bestowed the title of "Marquis Wenxuan" on Kong Sui of the 35th generation. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ( ( September 8, 685 Background Li Longji was born at the Tang Dynasty eastern capital Luoyang In 1055, Emperor Zhenzong of Song first bestowed the title of "Duke Yansheng" on Kong Zong of the 46th generation. Emperor Zhenzong ( December 23, 968 - March 23, 1022) was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. Duke Yansheng ( was a Title of nobility in China from Western Han. Despite repeated dynastic change in China, the title of Duke Yansheng was bestowed upon successive generations of descendants until it was abolished by the Nationalist Government in 1935. This article discusses history of the state which currently governs Taiwan Area. The last holder of the title, Kung Te-cheng of the 77th generation, was appointed Sacrificial Official to Confucius. K'ung Te-ch'eng ( (born 23rd February 1920 is a 77th generation descendant of Confucius, and is considered the head of the main line of descent. Duke Yansheng ( was a Title of nobility in China from Western Han.

Today, there are thousands of reputed descendants of Confucius. [44] The main lineage fled from the Kong ancestral home in Qufu to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War. Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The current head of the household is Kung Te-cheng, a professor at National Taiwan University. K'ung Te-ch'eng ( (born 23rd February 1920 is a 77th generation descendant of Confucius, and is considered the head of the main line of descent. The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies National Taiwan University ( abbreviation NTU) is a national co-educational university located in Taipei City Taiwan He previously served in the Republic of China government as President of the Examination Yuan. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Examination Yuan ( is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants in the Republic of China. Kung married Sun Qifang, the great-granddaughter of the Qing dynasty scholar-official and first president of Peking University Sun Jianai, whose Shouxian, Anhui, family created one of the first business combines in modern-day China, which included the largest flour mill in Asia, the Fou Foong Flour Company in Shanghai. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first A gristmill or grist mill is a building where Grain is ground into Flour, or the grinding mechanism itself The Qianlong Emperor married a daughter to Kong Xianpei of the 72nd generation, linking the Aisin-Gioro Imperial house with the Kong family. Emperor Qianlong (Chinese 乾隆 Qiánlóng, Wade-Giles' Ch'ien-Lung', Mongolian Tengeriig Tetgesen Khaan, born Hongli (弘历 September Aisin Gioro was the clan name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty (as well as the later short-lived regime in Manchukuo)

See also

References

  1. ^ More commonly abbreviated to Chinese: 孔子; pinyin: Kǒngzǐ; see Names section
  2. ^ Ban 111, vol.56
  3. ^ Gao 2003
  4. ^ Chen 2003
  5. ^ Zhang 1899, p. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li New Confucianism ( "Contemporary New Confucianism" is a new movement of Confucianism that began in the twentieth century A Temple of Confucius or Confucian temple ( is a Temple devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism Confucius Institute ( is a non-profit public institute which aims at promoting Chinese language and culture and supporting local Chinese teaching internationally Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use  111
  6. ^ Liu 2005, section 3
  7. ^ a b The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, VII.1
  8. ^ Kang 1958
  9. ^ Chien 1978
  10. ^ a b c Sima 109 BCE - 91 BCE, vol.47
  11. ^ Chien 1978, p.  25
  12. ^ Legge 1895, Book 5, V
  13. ^ a b Temple Of Confucius, 2001
  14. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, XVIII.4
  15. ^ Chien 1978, pp.  37-46
  16. ^ Watson 1996
  17. ^ The Analects 479 BC - 221 BCE, IX.14
  18. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, XI.8, 9, 10 and 11
  19. ^ Classic of Rites 300 BCE, Tangong Part 1
  20. ^ Chien 1978, pp.  50-53
  21. ^ Chien 1978, pp.  117-120
  22. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, I.1
  23. ^ Gu 1658, vol. 51, sec. 9
  24. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, III.3; VI.13 and XVII.11
  25. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, XIII.5; XVII.9
  26. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, VI.25
  27. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, XVI.2
  28. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, XIV.9
  29. ^ Zhang 2002, p.  208
  30. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, VI.24 and 30; XIV.16 and 17
  31. ^ The Analects 479 BCE - 221 BCE, II.20; XII.19
  32. ^ Derrida 1983, p.  63
  33. ^ Du 2005
  34. ^ Lee 1995, pp.  1-3
  35. ^ Legge 1895
  36. ^ Xun 325 BCE - 238 BCE
  37. ^ Li 2005
  38. ^ Zhang 1988, p.  76
  39. ^ This quote has been attributed by some scholars to a later student of Confucius as an attempt to create a meeting between Confucius and Lao-tzu which may never have occurred.
  40. ^ The first was Michele Ruggieri who had returned from China to Italy in 1588, and carried on translating in Latin Chinese classics, while residing in Salerno
  41. ^ "Windows into China", John Parker, p. Michele Ruggieri (1543 Spinazzola, Bari, Italy -11 May 1607 Salerno, Italy was an Italian Jesuit priest, Missionary 25
  42. ^ "Windows into China", John Parker, p. 25, ISBN 0890730504
  43. ^ "The Eastern origins of Western civilization", John Hobson, p194-195, ISBN 0521547245
  44. ^ Confucius says: Too many descendants : Mail & Guardian Online

Further reading

External links

Persondata
NAME Kong Qiu
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Confucius
SHORT DESCRIPTION Founder of Confucianism
DATE OF BIRTH September 28, 551 BC
PLACE OF BIRTH Qufu, State of Lu
DATE OF DEATH 479 BC
PLACE OF DEATH Qufu, State of Lu

Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ Lu ( was an ancient state in China during the Spring and Autumn Period. Qufu ( is a city in Shandong Province, China. It is located at 35 ° 36 ′ northern latitude and 117 °, 02 ′ Lu ( was an ancient state in China during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Dictionary

Confucius

-proper noun

  1. Western name of Kong Qiu (孔丘), an influential Chinese philosopher who lived 551 BCE – 479 BCE.
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