Confucius Biography

Confucius Biography

Confucius is the Westernized name of a Chinese philosopher who lived from approximately 551 BC to 479 BC. Other spellings throughout history been K'ung-tzu and K'ung-fu-tzu. Literally, they mean, Master Kong.

He was born into a soldier family in the Lu state (located in the south of what is now Shandong Province) in what is known as the Spring and Autumn Period – a period in China’s history in which the people were ruled under a feudal system (also known as the Warring States period). Kings of the Zhou Dynasty had only nominal power, the real power was held by twelve wealthy feudal princes who fought amongst themselves as they sought to consolidate their own power.

Not much is known about the life of Confucius. The year of his birth and death are not really known. What has been pieced together is that his father was Shulianghe, ruler of a small fiefdom, who fought in at least a couple of battles during this warlike time. His mother, Yan Zhengzai, was Shulianghe’s concubine, not wife. When he died, his mother took the three year old boy and fled. The two then lived in poverty – compared with their former life.

Despite their poverty, Confucius was able to become a scholar. His mother died when he was seventeen, from a brief illness. Confucius would marry three years later, at age twenty, to a young woman from the Qiguan family of the Song state.

Although the marriage was a happy one, Confucius abandoned his bride and set out to discover himself and form a new philosophy. He wished to bring peace to China by reviving the “perfect virtue” of Huaxia (Chinese civilization).
He spent three years developing his philosophy, and then began to travel China – in the same way that other philosophers and sages of the time did – sharing his teachings. His teachings struck a chord with many people he met, although in some of the states he was not well-received. His influence on Chinese culture did not fully take hold until after his death.

Confucius’ philosophy, now called Confucianism, was centered around morality in both personal and government relationships, the correctness of social relationships, as well as justice and sincerity. His philosophy vied with that of other doctrines such as Legalism and Taoism until it took hold among the ruling class. Confucianism, and its rituals, was a philosophy that ruled China for over 1500 years.

In the 1600s, Italian Jesuit and Oriental scholar Matteo Ricci introduced the knowledge Confucius and Confucianism to Europe (and indeed, was the one who Latinized his name to "Confucius.")

Confucius’ teachings may be read today in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of aphorisms which were compiled many years after his death.
In Confucianism, “human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self-creation. A main idea of Confucianism is the cultivation of virtue and the development of moral perfection. Confucianism holds that one should give up one's life, if necessary, either passively or actively, for the sake of upholding the cardinal moral values of ren and yi.”

See also: Confucius Bio, Confucius Quotes, Famous Religious Leaders, Famous Dead People, Famous Men, Spiritual People, Famous Chinese People, Famous Religious Founders, Famous Philosophers
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