Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who founded Confucianism. Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system that stresses the importance of filial piety, ritual, and propriety.
Confucius (551–479 BCE) was born in the Lu state of Eastern China during the Spring and Autumn Period. He lived during a time when China was divided into many small states ruled by powerful feudal lords called dukes or princes. The dukes often fought one another for control of territory and resources. The people living in these states had little power over their lives and suffered from high taxes, famine, and poor working conditions.
Philosopher believed that people should behave according to strict moral rules known as li (also pronounced lii). Li refers to a sense of propriety or decorum that guides human relationships with each other and with nature. Confucius taught that li should be used in all aspects of life—from family life to government administration—so that society could be harmonious and peaceful.
In his later years he traveled to the royal courts of several states, but he was never able to secure a position for himself as a government official. His teachings were not widely known until after his death at age seventy-two.
In fact, Confucius’s teachings have been preserved in two books: The Analects and The Doctrine of the Mean, which has been translated into many languages. Both books were written down several hundred years after his death by followers who compiled his sayings into collections known as “books.”
