Philosopher

Confucius

c. 551 – c. 479 BCE

Also known as Kongzi, Kong Qiu, Kong Fuzi

Teacher and would-be adviser to rulers, whose sayings about virtue, ritual and good government became the foundation of Confucianism.

Wall painting from a Western Han tomb in Dongping, Shandong (206 BCE – 9 CE), among the earliest known depictions, made centuries after his death.Anonymous Western Han painter · Public domain · See the original

Confucius taught that social harmony depends on the moral cultivation of individuals, especially of those who govern. He emphasised benevolence (ren), the proper performance of ritual (li), and respect within family relationships. His teachings survive mainly in the Analects, a collection of his sayings compiled by later followers.

The dates given for his life are the traditional ones.

Tradition: Chinese
Region: State of Lu
Schools: Confucianism
Period: Classical Chinese
Influenced: Mencius; Zhu Xi

Key works

Analects (Lunyu)

Sources

Mark Csikszentmihalyi, Confucius, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy