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Confucius
By Vickie Chao
In the long history of China, there is one dominant school of
thought that Chinese have followed closely for more than 2,000 years.
That school of thought was established by Confucius (551 B.C. - 479
B.C.), the most respected teacher and philosopher in China.
1
Confucius was born during an era of chaos. At the time, the
emperor of the Eastern Zhou dynasty became a mere figurehead. He
did not have full control of the country. Instead, he was like a puppet
domineered by hundreds of warlords. These military powerhouses spilt China into smaller
states and fought among themselves endlessly. The on-going wars put the society in
disarray. Moral values were low. Divides between rich and poor were wide. And crime
rates were high. Historians call this chaotic time the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C. 476 B.C.)
2
It was against this backdrop that Confucius formed his philosophy and set out to
publicize it.
3
Confucius believed "ren" ( ) is the highest attainable level in ethics that people must
strive to achieve. The word "ren" means "benevolence," "humanity," or "kindness" in
Chinese. To practice "ren," Confucius encouraged his followers to love others, to honor
one's parents, to adore one's siblings, and to do what is right. He had extensive
conversations with his students on this topic. One time, a disciple asked if there is a word
a person can use as a rule of conduct; Confucius replied, "Reciprocity." He then
explained, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." This seemingly
simple verse underlies the core meaning of "ren."
4
Throughout Confucius' lifetime, he was looking for an opportunity to put his theories
to the test. He first tried as a civil servant. But that did not really work out. Most of the
positions Confucius held were minor, low-ranking ones. Then a big break came when he
was in his fifties. Confucius was promoted to be the Minister of Crime in his home state,
Lu. He introduced many reforms. He carried out justice fairly. And he managed to lower
the crime rate. Unfortunately, that success was short-lived. Quickly, the ruler of Lu lost
interest in governing. He began to spend more of his time playing around. Confucius tried
to counsel the ruler of Lu, but his advice was ignored. Frustrated, Confucius resigned from
the post and left the state of Lu.
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Accompanied by his disciples, Confucius traveled from one state to another to
advocate his philosophy. The wandering led to no fruitful result. He never came across
another opportunity to put his theories to the test. After being on the road for 14 years
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(some said 13 years), Confucius returned to his home state. He dedicated the rest of his
life to teaching and editing historical texts. Confucius was a kind teacher. He taught
everybody with the same enthusiasm. He selected five ancient Chinese literatures for his
students to study. He called the collection the "Five Classics." Confucius died at the age
of 72.
After Confucius passed away, his students published a book recording their master's
wisdom and ideology. That book became known as Lun Yu or Analects.
7
Though Confucius never got to realize his ideas in full swing during his lifetime, his
philosophy turned mainstream 200 years later. The emperor from the Western Han dynasty
(206 B.C. - 8 A.D.) canonized Confucianism (Confucian's school of thought) as the
official doctrine. Ever since then, Confucianism has become the standard of ethics. Lun
Yu has become the must-read book.
8
Many people think Confucianism is a religion. They are wrong. Confucianism is
actually a set of behavioral and moral guidelines. Its ultimate goal is to make people
understand, embrace, and practice "ren."
9
Confucius is a very important figure in Chinese history. To bestow him the deepest
respect, Chinese don't refer to Confucius by his birth name, Kong Qiu. Instead, they call
him Kong Zi or Kong Fu Zi, meaning "Master Kong" in Chinese. That reverent title later
took on a Latin form and became known as Confucius to people living outside of China.
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Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Confucius
1. What period was Confucius from?
The Summer and Autumn Period
The Summer and Winter Period
The Spring and Summer Period
The Spring and Autumn Period
3. What is Confucius' birth name?
Kong Qiu
Confucius
Kong Zi
Kong Fu Zi
5. Confucius never saw his ideology being
adopted as the official doctrine during
his lifetime.
False
True
2. China was not a unified country during
the time Confucius lived. There were
hundreds of warlords dividing China into
smaller states.
False
True
4. Which of the following is not a meaning
of "ren"?
Kind
Selfish
Humanity
Benevolence
6. Confucius wrote the book Lun Yu (or
Analects) to advocate his philosophy.
False
True
7. Which dynasty was the first to canonize 8. What was Confucius' last political
Confucianism as the official doctrine?
The Eastern Han dynasty
The Ming dynasty
The Western Han dynasty
The Tang dynasty
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position before he left to travel around
China?
The Minister of Internal Affairs
The Minister of Crime
The Minister of Defense
The Minister of Finance
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Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Confucius
9. Which of the following about Confucius 10. How many years did Confucius travel
is correct?
His home state was the state of
Chu.
He created a religion called
Confucianism.
He was born during a peaceful
time.
He was a great teacher.
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around China to advocate his school of
thought?
8
10
20
14
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Confucius - Answer Key
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The Spring and Autumn Period
True
Kong Qiu
Selfish
True
False
The Western Han dynasty
The Minister of Crime
He was a great teacher.
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