Confucius
The paragon of Chinese sages and founder of Confucianism.
Confucius, whose given name was Kong Qiu, is the philosopher from China’s Spring and Autumn period long regarded as the ultimate model of a Chinese sage. The common cultural foundation of the Sinosphere largely stems from his ideas and instruction. His system of thought, known as Confucianism, stressed right conduct in both personal life and governance, along with social harmony, integrity, goodwill, honesty, and the duty of rulers to govern through moral example.
He saw himself as a preserver of values from earlier eras that he believed had been neglected in his own day. He pushed for filial piety, meaning strong loyalty to family, respect for ancestors, deference of children to elders, and submission of wives to husbands. A solid family unit, he argued, was the essential basis for good government. He promoted the Silver Rule, a version of the Golden Rule stated in the negative: “Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself.”
His lifetime was marked by a flourishing of different schools of thought and was a key period in China’s intellectual development. His ideas grew more influential during the Warring States period but suffered a setback right after the Qin unification. Under Emperor Wu of Han, Confucian teachings gained official approval, and related texts became required reading for those seeking government careers. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Confucianism evolved into what the West calls Neo-Confucianism. In the 1900s, a movement called New Confucianism arose in the Republic of China, aiming to adapt Confucian ideas to modern life. From ancient times to today, Confucianism has become woven into China’s social structure and everyday existence.
By tradition, Confucius is said to have written or edited many ancient works, including all of the Five Classics. But modern scholars are cautious about pinning specific statements directly on him, since at least some of the texts and ideas linked to him come from even older sources. Sayings about his teachings were collected in the *Analects*, but that happened many years after his death.
The Latin name “Confucius” comes from a Mandarin Chinese term meaning roughly “Great Master Kong” or “Wise Teacher Kong,” coined by early Jesuit missionaries in the late 1500s. Today’s common Mandarin name simply means “Master Kong.” His family name was Kong, and his personal name was Qiu, meaning “hill” or “mound”—chosen because the top of his head had a noticeable sunken depression, with the sides rising higher like a valley and hill. His courtesy name, given at his coming-of-age ceremony and used by everyone except older relatives, was Zhongni, with “Zhòng” indicating he was the second son.
He is thought to have been born on September 28, 551 BCE, in Zou (modern Qufu, Shandong). The area was nominally under Zhou kings but effectively run by local Lu lords from nearby Qufu. His father, Kong He (or Shuliang He), was an elderly commander of the Lu garrison. His ancestry supposedly traced back through Song dukes to the Shang dynasty. Traditional accounts say Kong He’s grandfather moved the family from Song to Lu, though not all modern scholars accept this noble lineage.
Kong He died when Confucius was three, and his mother Yan Zhengzai raised him in poverty. She died before age forty. At nineteen, he married a woman named Qiguan; a year later they had a son, Kong Li. They later had two daughters—one believed to have died young, the other named Kong Jiao. He attended schools for commoners, studying the Six Arts. Born into the *shi* class, between aristocrats and commoners, he worked various government jobs in his early twenties, including bookkeeper and caretaker of sheep and horses, using the earnings to give his mother a proper burial. When she died, he mourned for three years, as tradition required.
In his time, Lu was ruled by a duke, with three aristocratic families holding hereditary posts: the Ji family as Minister over the Masses (also Prime Minister), the Meng family as Minister of Works, and the Shu family as Minister of War. In the winter of a certain year, Yang Hu, a retainer of the Ji family, rebelled and seized power. By summer, the three families expelled him. By then, Confucius had gained a strong reputation through teaching, and the families saw the value of proper conduct and righteousness for achieving loyalty to a legitimate government. That same year, he was appointed governor of a town, later rising to Minister of Crime. According to the *Xunzi*, once in that post, he ordered the execution of Shaozheng Mao, another Lu official and scholar whose lectures attracted three thousand disciples several times except for Yan Hui. Shaozheng Mao was accused of five capital crimes, including concealed evil, stubborn abnormality, eloquent duplicity, and erudition in bizarre facts.
- born
- c. 551 BCE (28 September 551 BCE, Zou, in modern Qufu, Shandong)
- died
- c. 479 BCE
- field
- Philosophy
- nationality
- Chinese (state of Lu)
- known_for
- Founder of Confucianism; teachings on morality, filial piety, and the Silver Rule
Lore & Background
Confucius considered himself a transmitter for the values of earlier periods which he claimed had been abandoned in his time. He advocated for filial piety, endorsing strong family loyalty, ancestor veneration, and the respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. Confucius recommended a robust family unit as the cornerstone for an ideal government. He championed the Silver Rule, or a negative form of the Golden Rule, advising, 'Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself.' The time of Confucius's life saw a rich diversity of thought, and was a formative period in China's intellectual history. His ideas gained in prominence during the Warring States period, but experienced setback immediately following the Qin conquest. Under Emperor Wu of Han, Confucius's ideas received official sanction, with affiliated works becoming mandatory readings for career paths leading to officialdom. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Confucianism developed into a system known in the West as Neo-Confucianism. In the 20th century, an intellectual movement emerged in the Republic of China that sought to apply Confucian ideology in a modern context, known as New Confucianism. From ancient dynasties to the modern era, Confucianism has integrated into the Chinese social fabric and way of life. Traditionally, Confucius is credited with having authored or edited many of the ancient texts including all of the Five Classics. However, modern scholars exercise caution in attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself, for at least some of the texts and philosophy associated with him were of a more ancient origin. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but not until many years after his death.
Reader's Guide
The name 'Confucius' is a Latinized form of the Mandarin Chinese Kǒngfūzǐ (孔夫子)—roughly meaning 'Great Master Kong' or 'Wise Teacher Kong'—that was coined in the late 16th century by early Jesuit missionaries to China. The more common name in Mandarin Chinese today is Kǒngzǐ (孔子), simply meaning 'Master Kong'. Confucius's family name was Kong and his given name was Qiu. Qiu means 'hill' or 'mound' and was the given name because of his unusual head shape having a noticeable low depression or sunken (concave) in the top-middle of his head, while the sides rose up higher like the landscape of a valley and hill. His courtesy name, a capping given at his coming of age ceremony, and by which he would have been known to all but his older family members, was Zhongni, the 'Zhòng' indicating that he was the second son in his family. It is thought that Confucius was born on 28 September 551 BCE, in Zou (in modern Qufu, Shandong). The area was de jure controlled by the kings of Zhou but effectively independent 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. Not all modern scholars accept Confucius's descent from Song nobility. Kong He died when Confucius was three years old, and Confucius was raised by his mother Yan Zhengzai in poverty. His mother later died at less than 40 years of age. At age 19, he married Qi Guanshi, and a year later the couple had their first child, their son Kong Li. 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. Confucius was educated at schools for commoners, where he studied and learned the Six Arts. Confucius was born into the class of shi, between the aristocracy and the common people. He is said to have worked in various government jobs during his early 20s, and as a bookkeeper and a caretaker of sheep and horses, using the proceeds to give his mother a proper burial. When his mother died, Confucius (aged 23) is said to have mourned for three years, as was the tradition. In Confucius's time, the state of Lu was headed by a ruling ducal ho
Did You Know?
- Confucius's given name Qiu means 'hill' or 'mound', referring to the shape of his head.
- The name 'Confucius' is a Latinized form coined by Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century.
- Confucius is traditionally credited with authoring or editing all of the Five Classics, though modern scholars are cautious about this.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Man has three ways of acting wisely. First, on meditation; that is the noblest. Secondly, on imitation; that is the easiest. Thirdly, on experience; that is the bitterest." — Confucius "Variation: By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is the noblest; Second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." — Confucius "It is not truth that makes man great, but man that makes truth great." — Confucius "It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them." — Confucius
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