The most historically reliable
information about Confucius comes from a book called the Analects, a
collection of his sayings, conversations, and anecdotes compiled posthumously
by his disciples. Confucius was born around 551 BCE (and died c. 479) in
the state of Lu. Although he is known in the West as Confucius, throughout
Chinese history, he was called Kongzi, or Master Kong. The name Confucius was coined by Jesuit
missionaries in the 17th century. He was born into the lower nobility and was
relatively poor; his father died when the boy was around three. He was also a
dedicated student. Confucius respected authority and believed that a humane
society depended on respect for one’s superiors. Confucius believed that the
key to human harmony lay in good government and in the moral character of the
ruler and other public servants. If the leader is virtuous, the people will
follow suit. Wise words for the 21st Century!
Confucius lived during a
particularly brutal time in Chinese history; for this reason, many of his
teachings were directed toward rulers and government officials, as well as
family life. He was not interested in abstract questions of philosophy but
practical ones about how rulers should rule or about the obligations of family
to each other. Confucius’s main interest was in ethics or morality. Though
generally considered China’s greatest religious figure, Confucius had little to
say about souls, gods, or spirits, much less morality in relation to these
entities. He urged people
to be moral and to practice goodness and kindness but never indicated that one
would be rewarded by god or enjoy a pleasant afterlife for doing so.
Though Confucius confessed later
in life that he had never actually met one, he viewed sages as the highest
level of humans. The sage was the complete embodiment of Confucian values, but
Confucius did not regard himself as one. Confucius also mentioned the ideals of
the “good man” and the “complete man,” and often these were associated with
particular stations in society. He stressed one ideal person above all others:
the junzi, usually translated as
“gentleman” or “superior man.” By this, Confucius meant someone who had
attained a noble character and superior status as earned by hard work, not
bestowed as a birthright. Specifically, what distinguished a gentleman from
others was the quality of “humaneness” or “humanity.” It can also refer to
kindness, benevolence, or goodness. The gentleman was not only compassionate
but wise, one who knew right from wrong, was a good judge of character, and
possessed self-knowledge. The quality of wisdom also meant that one thought for
oneself. A gentleman did not blindly follow others. Those who took the path of
cultivating goodness did so for its own sake not for heavenly reward.
Many sayings are attributed to
Confucius. Here are a few:
1. Our
greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
2. Everything
has beauty but not everyone sees it.
3. A
man who has committed a mistake and never corrects it has committed another
mistake.
4. When
anger rises, think of the consequences.
5. Choose
a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
6. It
is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
7. Life
is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
8. What
you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others.
9. He
who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.
10. To
put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the
nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order,
we must cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.
From The Great Courses: The Axial Age
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