Friday, October 28, 2011

Confucius

Confucius is an ancient Chinese thinker and social philosopher. Scholars believe he was born in 551 B.C. near the city of Qufu. Brought up in poverty, he meditated a great deal about social relationships; his philosophies emphasized personal and governmental morality. Confucius' beliefs form a kind of ethic. His disciples later turned his teachings into a list of elaborate rules.

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Confucius (born 551 , Ch'-fu, state of Lu—died 479, Lu) Ancient Chinese teacher, philosopher, and political theorist. Born into a poor family, he managed stables and worked as a bookkeeper while educating himself. Mastery of the six arts—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic—and familiarity with history and poetry enabled him to begin a brilliant teaching career in his thirties. Confucius saw education as a process of constant self-improvement and held that its primary function was the training of noblemen (junzi). He saw public service as the natural consequence of education and sought to revitalize Chinese social institutions, including the family, school, community, state, and kingdom. He served in government posts, eventually becoming minister of justice in Lu, but his policies attracted little interest. After a 12-year self-imposed exile during which his circle of students expanded, he returned to Lu at age 67 to teach and write. His life and thoughts are recorded in the Lunyu (Analects). Confucianism.

From : www.biography.com