Everything You Need to Know about Confucius

Confucius is no doubt, one of the most influential figures in all of Asian history. His words have survived to the modern era, amassing billions of followers along the way. His teachings have become the basis for great Chinese dynasties. His ideas are ingrained in powerful Eastern Asian modern-day societies.

Incredibly, this immensely influential figure comes from humble origins. In 551 CE, Confucius was born in the Qufu state of Lu during the fractious times with the decline of the Zhou dynasty. Though his parents were of decent standing, his father died when Confucius was three. With only his mother to support him, Confucius learned to fend for himself, acquiring a variety of skills from archery to poetry that he used for a number of odd jobs. In his free time, Confucius dedicated himself to studies confident knowledge would alleviate the suffering around him.

Confucius believed that the first step to change the chaotic world he lived in was through self-cultivation. Thus, he founded the Chinese school Ru  where he gathered groups of men to pass on practical skills to, but more importantly, to groom them into a generation of “gentlemen”. In teaching his students, Confucius’ ultimate goal was instilling character, and he hoped these reformed men could change society if they moved onto prominent government positions.

As Confucius spread his wisdom, he gained massive numbers of disciples. He has even been said to have had 3,000 students at a one point. With such a large network, Confucius began to have government connections and before long, he was made an adviser in the court of Lu. Now in government, the ambitious Confucius believed the time had finally come for nationwide change. Unfortunately, powerful officials benefitting from the bureaucratic inefficiency stonewalled his attempts for reform. Disillusioned by the lack of influence, Confucius left his home state with a small group of disciples. He spent the next twenty years wandering from state to state to appeal to other sovereign leaders in the hope that they would answer their call for reform. These rulers unfortunately, proved to be for the other team, and by age 67, Confucius gave up on his dream for change.

Confucius returned home where he settled down and wrote out his teachings.  Though he passed away five years later seeing himself a failure, his faithful students compiled his teachings into The Analects of Confucius a book many consider to be the most influential work in Chinese history. His words continued to have influence for the next millennia, bringing the harmonious society he had always hoped for.