Confucius was a Chinese philosopher. He was one of the most influential figures in Chinese history. He lived between 551 BC to 479 BC though he died centuries before, his teachings and philosophy gave birth to a movement, "Confucianism" that lives on even today. In recent China, the stature of God was nearly granted to him. This would indeed have amused Confucius had he been living today because the he did not overly concern himself with religion. He said, "Respect the spirits, but keep them at a distance."
Confucius was born in the state of Lu (present-day Shandong (Shantung) Province of the noble Clung clan. His original name was Clung Chic. 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. At an early age he displayed remarkable mental ability. Although he had to work for a living his interest in education and the quest of knowledge never waned. At the age of fifteen the thought of becoming a sage entered his mind. 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 lab ours for the chief of the district. 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. At the age of twenty two he founded an academy in which the principles of right conduct and government were taught. Both, the rich and then poor attended his school. He charged high fees from the rich and did not turn away the poor on account of their poverty. Confucius displayed unusual administrative capabilities. He was not deterred to do away with the old experiment way of life. If required, he was quite willing to experiment with the new.
Living as he did in the second half of the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1027?-256BC), 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.
During these years he came in contact with the famous spiritualist leader Lao-tsze. He was much impressed with Lao, though he did not really believe in the philosophy propounded by Lao. As time went by Confucius gained many followers. His lessons were gathered from everyday life. A sudden revolution in the state of Lu caused the lord to flee and Confucius too followed the lord into exile. Passing with his disciples by the mountain T''ai he saw a woman wailing. On inquiring the reason for her grief the woman said, "My husband''s father was killed at this spot by a tiger, my husband too met the same fate and now my son has been killed by the tiger. "Asked why she did not leave the place she replied because the government was not oppressive. Quick to point out a moral Confucius said, "Remember this child, an oppressive government is fiercer and more feared than a tiger."
Confucius had, however, no opportunity to put his theories to a public test until, at the age of 50, he was appointed magistrate of Chung-too, 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 484BC, after a fruitless search for an ideal ruler, he returned for the last time to Lu. He spent the remaining years of his in retirement, writing commentaries on the classics. He died in Lu at the age of seventy one and was buried in a tomb at Chou-fu, Shandong.
Confucius did not put into writing the writing the principles of his philosophy; these were handed down only through his disciples. The Lon Yu (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 Chuan Chiu (spring and Autumn Annals), is an annalistic 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 Shih Shun (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 help 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 joined all individuals to observe carefully their duties towards the state. In subsequent centuries his teachings exerted a powerful influence on the Chinese nation.
Confucianism has influenced the Chinese altitude towards life, set the patterns of living and standards of social value, and provided the background for Chinese political theories and institutions. It has spread from China to Korea, Japan and Vietnam and has aroused interest among Western scholars.
Although Confucianism became the official ideology of the Chinese state, it has never existed as an established religion with a church and priesthood. Chinese scholars honored Confucius as a great teacher and sage but did not worship him as a personal god. Nor did Confucius himself ever claim divinity. Unlike Christian churches, the temples built to Confucius were not places in which organized community groups gathered to worship, but public edifices designed for annual ceremonies, especially on the philosopher''s birthday. Several attempts to deify Confucius and to proselyte Confucianism failed because of the essentially secular nature of the philosophy.
The principles of Confucianism are contained in the nine ancient Chinese works handed down by Confucius and his followers, who lived in an age of great philosophic activity. These writings can be divided into two groups: the Five Classics and the Four Books.
The Wu Cling(Five Classics), which originated before the time of Confucius, consist of the I Cling (Books of Changes), Shun Cling (Book of History), Shin Cling (Book of Poetry), Li Chi (Books of rites), and Chuan Chi''s (Spring and Autumn Annals). The I Cling is a manual of divination probably compiled before the 11th century BC; it''s supplementary philosophical portion, contained in a series of appendixes, may have been written later by Confucius and his disciples, the Shun Cling is a collection of ancient historical documents, and the Shin Cling an anthology of ancient poems. The Li chi deals with me principles of conduct, including those for public and private ceremonies; it was destroyed in the 3rd century BC, but presumably much of its material was preserved in a later compilation, the Record of Rites. The Chuan Chiu the only work reputedly compiled by Confucius himself, is a chronicle of major historical events in feudal china from the 8th century BC to Confucius death early in the 5th century BC.
The Shih Shun (Four Books), compilations of the sayings of Confucius and Minces and of commentaries by followers on their teachings are the Luna Yu (Analects), a collection of maxims by Confucius that form the basis of his moral and political philosophy; Ta Hushes (The Great Learning) and Chug Yung (The Doctrine of the Mean), containing some of Confucius''s philosophical utterances arranged systematically with comments and expositions by his disciples; and the Minces (Book of Minces), containing the teachings of one of Confucius''s great followers.
The keynote of Confucian ethics is jinn, variously translated as love," "goodness," "humanity," and "human-heartedness." Jen is a supreme virtue representing human qualities at their best. In human relations. Construed as those between one person and another, jinn is manifested in Chung or faithfulness to oneself and others, and shun, or altruism, best expressed in the Confucian golden rule, "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself, "Other important Confucian virtues include righteousness, propriety, integrity, and filial piety. One who possesses all these virtues becomes a chum Tzu (perfect gentleman). Politically, Confucius advocated a paternalistic government in which the sovereign is benevolent and honorable and the subjects are respectful and obedient. The ruler should cultivate moral perfection in order to set a good example to the people. In education Confucius upheld the theory, remarkable for the feudal period, in which he lived, that "in education, there is n class distinction."
After the death of Confucius two major schools of Confucian thought emerged; one was represented by Minces, the other by Hsun-tzu (Hsun K''uang, 300?-235? BC). Minces continued the ethical teachings of Confucius by stressing the innate goodness of human nature. He believed, however, that original human goodness can become depraved through one''s own destructive effort or through contact with an evil environment. The problem of moral cultivation is therefore to preserve or at least to restore the goodness that is one''s birthright. In political thought, Minces is sometimes considered one of the early advocates of democracy, for he advanced the idea of the people''s supremacy in the state.
In opposition to Minces. Hsun-tzu contended that a person is born with an evil nature but that it can be regenerated through moral education. He believed that desire should be guided and restrained by the rules of propriety and that character should be molded by an orderly observance of rites and by the practice of music. This code serves as a powerful influence on character by properly directing emotions and by providing inner harmony. Hsun-tzu was the main exponent of ritualism in Confucianism.
After a brief period of eclipse in the 3rd century BC, Confucianism was revived during the Han dynasty (206 BC- AD220). The Confucian works, copies of which had been destroyed in the preceding period, were restored to favor, canonized, and taught by learned scholars in national academies. The works also formed the basis of later civil service examinations; candidates for responsible government positions received their appointments on the strength of their knowledge of classic literature. As a result, Confucianism secured a firm hold on Chinese intellectual and political life.
The success of Han Confucianism was attributes to Tang Chung-shun, who first recommended a system of education built upon the teachings of Confucius. Tang Chung- shuns believed in a close correspondence between human beings and nature; thus a person''s deeds, especially those of the sovereign, are often responsible for unusual phenomena in nature. Because of the sovereign''s authority, he or she is to blame for such phenomena as fire, flood earthquake and warning to humanity that all is not well in this world, the fear of heavenly punishment proves useful as a curb to the monarch''s absolute power.
In the political chaos that followed the fall of the Han dynasty. Confucianism was overshadowed by the rival philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism, and the philosophy suffered a temporary setback. Nevertheless, the Confucian Classics continued to be the chief source of learning for scholars, and with the restoration of peace and prosperity in the Tang dynasty (618-907), the spread of Confucianism was encouraged. The monopoly of learning by Confucian scholars once again ensured them the highest bureaucratic positions. Confucianism returned as an orthodox state teaching
The intellectual activities of the Song (Sung) dynasty (960-1279) gave rise to anew system of Confucian thought based on a mixture of Buddhist and Taoist elements; the new school of Confucianism was known as Neo-Confucianism. The scholars who evolved this intellectual system were themselves well versed in the other two philosophies. Although primarily teachers of ethics, they were also interested in the theories of the universe and the origin of human nature.
Neo- Confucianism branched out into two schools of philosophy. The foremost exponent of one school was ChuHsi, an eminent thinker second only to Confucius and Minces in prestige, who established a new philosophical foundation for the teachings of Confucianism by organizing scholarly opinion into a cohesive system. According to the Neo- Confucians system Chug His represented, all objects in nature are composed of two inherent forces: lei, an immaterial universal principle or law; a Chi''s, the substance of which all material things are made. Whereas Chi may change and dissolve, Li, the underlying law of the myriad things, remains constant and indestructible. Chug His further identifies the lei in humankind with human nature, which is essentially the same for all people. The phenomenon of particular differences can be attributed to the varying propositions and densities of the chi found among individuals. Thus, those who receive a chi that is turbid will find their original nature obscured and should cleans their nature to restore its purity. Purity can be achieved by extending one''s knowledge of the li in each individual object. When, after much sustained effort, one has investigated and comprehended the universal lei or natural law inherent in all animate and inanimate objects, one becomes a sage.
Opposed to the lei (Law) school is the shin (mind) school of Neo- Confucianism. The chief exponent of the shin school was Wang Yang-Ming, who taught the unity of knowledge and practice. His major proposition was that "apart from the mind, neither law nor object" exists. In the mind, he asserted, are embodied all the laws of nature, and nothing exists without the mind. One''s supreme effort should be to develop "the intuitive knowledge" of the mind, not through the study or investigation of natural law, but through intense thought and calm meditation.
During the Qing (Cling) dynasty (1644-1911) there was a strong reaction to both the lei and shin schools of Neo- Confucian thought. Qing scholars advocated a return to the Han period, When it was still unadulterated by Buddhist and Taoist ideas. They developed textual criticism of the Confucian Classics based on scientific methodology, using philology, history and archaeology to reinforce their scholarship. In addition, scholars such as Tai Chen introduced an empiricist point of view into Confucian philosophy.
Toward the end of the 19th century the reaction against Neo-Confucian metaphysics took a different turn. Instead of confining themselves to textual studies, Confucian scholars took an active interest in politics and formulated reform programs based on Confucian doctrine. Kiang Yu-weir, a leader of the Confucian reform movement, made an attempt to exalt the philosophy as a national religion. Because of foreign threats to China and the urgent demand for drastic political measures, the reform movements failed; in the intellectual confusion that followed the Chinese revolution of 1911, Confucianism was branded as decadent and reactionary, with the collapse of the monarchy and the traditional family structure, from which much of its strength and support was derived. Confucianism lost its hold on the nation. In the past, it often had managed to weather adversities and to emerge with renewed vigor, but during this period of unprecedented social upheavals it lost its previous ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Confucius continues to be revered as China''s greatest teacher; Confucian classics are studied and Confucian virtues, embodied for countless generation in the familiar sayings and common- sense wisdom of the Chinese people will remain the cornerstone of ethics. Although the Chinese communist victory of 1949 underlined the uncertain future of Confucianism Many Confucian based traditions were put aside. The family system, for example, much revered in the past as a central Confucian institution, was de-emphasized. Few Confucian classics were published and official campaigns against Confucianism were organized in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. But as a great ancient sage Confucius will live on.
Confucius'' tomb outside the city of K''iuh-fow, on a lush green hill midst the cypress tress is an apt place for this "most sagely teacher; all accomplished, all informed king, "The marble statue of this wise man looks on as generations of Chinese come to pay their homage to their master who taught them to tread the path that was right- always.