Born 551 B.C.-Died 479 B.C.
Shortly after his four-year marriage, at the age of 22, he
became a teacher. He believed that students who wanted
to learn deserved an education, regardless of whether
they could pay for it or not.
C
onfucius is one of the most revered
philosophers of all-time. He lived during the
time of Buddha and just before Socrates, two
other very influential philosophers. Confucius
began his work as a Chinese scribe, or writer, and
teacher. His teachings focused on respect and social
peace between the ruler and the ruled. He taught of
people bringing
“What you do not want goodness to society
done to yourself, do through positive
behaviors in five
not do to others.”
different relationships.
These included parent
to child, ruler to subject, older brother to younger
brother, husband to wife, and friend to friend. The
importance of education was also a focus of teachings
and became the foundation of Chinese culture.
Confucius's interest in philosophy, or study of values in
society, grew out of social conflict and led to changes in
his community.
Early Life
Similar to Buddha and Jesus, Confucius had a
mysterious birth. According to one legend, dragons
watched over Confucius's mother as she gave birth to
him. Confucius grew up with a noble title, similar to
Buddha, but grew up in poverty, like Jesus. Confucius's
father passed away at age 73, when Confucius was only
three years old. Without a father, Confucius was sent
to work each day after school to help provide for his
family. As a young teenager, he decided to become a
scholar.
Confucius believed the secret to learning was asking
questions, similar to Socrates, who taught his students the
Socratic dialog. Confucius was known for his humble and
quiet ways, while Socrates had a reputation for toughness
and spent time as an assemblyman in Greek government
before becoming a philosopher. Both men were mentors
to their students. Confucius was very interested in
spending time with his students and often had them live
with him. Most of his teaching revolved around speaking,
rather than writing, and the power of music to open
the mind.
Society and Government
Confucius was interested in changing the political climate
of the Chou Dynasty in China. He believed that educated
men should rule the ideal political society. He observed
that most rulers put their own desires and needs ahead of
the people. As a result of this, Confucius wanted to teach
morality along with education. Confucius developed his
philosophy based on two older Chinese ideas: li (a
person's place in society) and jen (a person's conscience).
A person became mature once he was aware of these two
aspects of himself. Confucius called this being a
"gentlemen," or chun-tzu. Confucius made it his mission
to educate people so they could possess both attributes.
According to Confucius, when leaders and people in
society reached this level, there would be social peace.
Along with Confucius's interest in politics came several job
opportunities. In 500 B.C., Duke Ting, from the state of Lu,
made several official appointments for Confucius. Most
notably, Confucius became the Minister of Crime. During
his tenure, crime in the area nearly stopped. Shortly after,
Confucius left politics. Many years later, in his late 60's, he
returned to government under Duke Gae, also of Lu.
Confucius lived a humble life in pursuit of social peace and
education. His ideas dominated Chinese culture up until
the beginning of Communism in 1949. At that point,
China had outgrown the structured ideas of Confucianism,
although some followers still remain in China.
Copyright © 2014 Instructomania Pavlovich
Confucius Influences China: Common Core Questions
1. Where is Confucius from?_________________________________________________________________
2. Define "philosophy"?_____________________________________________________________________
3. Describe Confucius's early philosophy about relationships. Use a passage from the text to support your
answer.__________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Explain Confucius's mysterious birth. ________________________________________________________
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5. Compare and contrast Confucius's life with Buddha's and Jesus's. Use a quote from the reading to support
your answer.______________________________________________________________________________
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6. Trace the events led up to Confucius becoming a teacher?_______________________________________
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7. Socrates was another well-known philosopher at the same time as Confucius. Differentiate between their
personalities and philosophies._______________________________________________________________
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8. Think about it! How did Confucius's observations about society and government influence his work? Use
evidence from the text to support your answer.
9. Summarize Confucius's philosophy of "chun-tzu." ______________________________________________
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10. Prove why Confucius is considered one of the most influential philosophers. Use evidence from the text
in the form of a quote to support your answer.
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11. Cultural Influence– The culture of China has been greatly influenced by the teachings of Confucius,
especially with regards to expectations of behaviors in relationships. Find evidence from the text supports
the following statement: Ancient Chinese governments probably promoted the teachings of Confucius.
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Copyright © 2014 Instructomania Pavlovich