Confucius Biography

Confucius or Kung Fu-Tse (literally “Master Kong”) was a Chinese thinker creator of Confucianism that focuses on a good way of living, good conduct at the hands of a good government led by charity, justice and respect for hierarchy, tradition as a base element, study, and meditation.

He was born in the town of Zou in the ancient state of Lu, currently recognized as Shantung in China. The time of his birth is estimated in 551 BC and died in 479 BC. At first, his family had money because they were noble landlords of the clan of the Kongs, but with the death of the father of Confucius, the family was left in poverty. All this happened when Confucius was only three years old, although in spite of everything it is said that he received a very good education.

He served as a teacher and official during the Zhou dynasty. In his exercise as an official, he worked for the administration of the state of Lu where he became Minister of Justice, although he ended up resigning because he did not agree with the prince’s policy.

“Learn to live and you’ll learn to die well.” Confucius

He was fifty years old when he began his teachings traveling from one place to another and gathering disciples. A fame was created as a man of knowledge and character, a great defender of traditional customs and his figure became so widespread that he reached every corner of China.

Although he tried first to teach the nobles and princes, he had to limit himself to the disciples because he had a greater closeness with people of the common. It was thanks to them that their thinking spread and thus created Confucianism or Confucianism. It seems that his thinking can be interpreted as a response to the climate of struggle and disorder among the feudal lords of his historical epoch.

More than a religion, it is an ethic, because it promotes behaviors in pursuit of a better way of living, and does not mention divinity because it never referred to the afterlife. “You have to wait for the unexpected and accept the unacceptable. What is death? If we still do not know what life is, how can it bother us to know the essence of death?” He focused mainly on personal morals against private guidance and behaviors up to the normal of good government, that is, man as an individual and as a social being.

It is important to recognize this because the thought of Confucius systematizes ideas of Chinese culture and therefore contributed to model society and politics; in this we can recognize altruism, tolerance, respect, social harmony and fulfillment of duty, which accounts for a conservative thought (it was noted above all by the importance it gave to the traditional family and respect and obedience to them) To illustrate, they say that Confucius: “dreamed of returning to an idealized past in which a wise and kind emperor (the “son of Heaven”) governed and was obeyed as a father by his children, in a general climate of peace and order”

.

Here, a phrase that shows his position in front of the traditional family:

“Goodness in the father, filial piety in the son; gentleness in the older brother, humility and respect in the youngest; fair behavior in the husband, obedience in the wife; human consideration in the elderly, respect in the minors; benevolence in the rulers, loyalty in the ministers and the subjects” Confucius

His ideas, having a political nuance, were not accepted by some leaders of the time. For instance, during the Ts’in dynasty, he was persecuted. Although later, during the Han Dynasty, it became the official philosophy of the State.

One of the great influences of Confucius was Zi Zhaan who introduced the first legal code in China, this influenced the skepticism of the time as a religion after so many wars lost faith in the gods.

Part of his figure is full of legends and it is said that once while in office as justice minister he ordered the execution of a Lu nobleman, Chao Chong Mao, because he thought he was an undesirable man with a very dangerous characteristic “He was so brilliant and had such a facility of speech that he would be able to drag others into his mistakes”. It was also thought that during a time he made major administrative reforms that were characterized by his impartiality and the practical eradication of crime. But they say that finally, it is most likely a minor official.

Finally, after searching, without any results, for a ruler to let him make reforms, he returned to Lu, where he spent the rest of his life writing about classical Chinese authors that he had used as influences in his thinking.

Confucius died in Lu and was buried in Qufu in the year 479. In 1994, the temple, residence of the Kong family and the cemetery of Confucius was named cultural heritage of humanity for his great influence on Chinese and Western culture long time after.