a Chinese philosopher whose ideas encouraged justice and peace, and who taught social and moral principles which had a great influence on Chinese society (551-479 BC). Chinese Kongfuzi or K'ung-fu-tzu born 551 BC, Ch'ü-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). See also Confucianism
Founder of the most dominant system of Chinese thought, emphasized the perfectibility of people as well as their ability to affect things for the better
The renowned Chinese philosopher (551-479 BC) and great moral teacher, who spent a lifetime studying the I Ching
in Chinese, "Kung Fu Tze;" the founder of the ethical/religious system known as Confucianism It centers primarily upon the concept of the self as becoming fully developed only within the social/ethical context of relation
(551-479 B C E ) Westernized transliteration of Kong Fu-Zi, a teacher, scholar After his demise and to this day, he became China's most influential philosopher and political reformer His philosophy is based on worship of the ancestors, and the study of the ancient classics He promoted social harmony based on the moral obligations between individuals and social systems