Confucius
- Writer
Chinese philosopher who was born Kong Qiu, with the formal name Kong
Zhongni, in the state of Lu in what is now Shandong province. The
second son of a minor aristocratic family that had fallen from power,
Confucius was orphaned as a child and grew up in relative poverty. A
voracious reader, he educated himself, eventually becoming a private
tutor for the sons of wealthy gentlemen. Distressed by the division of
China into fiercely competitive and often warring states, Confucius,
like many other thinkers of his era, devoted much time to pondering
ways to restore order to the chaotic world in which he lived. For a
decade beginning when he was about 55, Confucius wandered through
neighboring states, attempting to convince various rulers of his
worthiness for political positions through which he could introduce his
planned reforms. Though by most accounts his travels never resulted in
an offer for political office (some sources say he became a minister of
state), Confucius was able to gather a substantial number of students
who devoted themselves to his school of thought. Though it has been
described as a religion, Confucianism is more of a political and social
philosophy based on humanism, rationality, education, and virtuous
example. During imperial times, Confucius was lauded as the "First
Teacher" and the "Uncrowned King".