Confucius Paper :: essays research papers

According to tradition, Confucius was born in the state of Lu (present-day Shandong Province) of the noble Kung clan. His original name was Kung Chiu. His father, commander of a district in Lu, died three social classs after Confucius was born, leaving the family in poverty, but Confucius nevertheless received a fine education. He was get married at the age of 19 and had one son and two daughters. During the intravenous feeding years immediately after his marriage, poverty compelled him to become a sevant for the political boss of the district in which he lived. His mother died in 527 BC, and after a period of mourning he began his career as a teacher, commonly change of location about and instructing the small body of disciples that had gathered around him. His fame as a man of learning and character and his reverence for Chinese ideals and impost soon spread through the principality of Lu.Living as he did in the second half of the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1027?-256 BC), when fe udalism degenerated in chinaware and conspiracy and evildoing were constant, Confucius deplored the contemporary disorder and lack of moral standards. He came to believe that the only remedy was to convert people once much to the principles of the sages of antiquity. He therefore lectured to his pupils on the ancient classics. He taught the great shelter of the power of example. Rulers, he said, can be great only if they themselves snuff it free lives, and were they willing to be guided by moral principles, their states would authorized become prosperous and happy.Confucius had, however, no opportunity to put his theories to a earth test until, at the age of 50, he was appointed magistrate of Chung-tu, and the next year minister of crime of the state of Lu. His administration was successful reforms were introduced, justice was plum dispensed, and crime was almost eliminated. So powerful that Lu became the ruler of a neighboring state maneuvered to secure the ministers dismiss al. Confucius left his office in 496 BC, traveling about and teaching, vainly hoping that some other prince would allow him to undertake measures of reform. In 484 BC, after a fruitless search for an ideal ruler, he returned for the go away time to Lu. He spent the remaining years of his life in retirement, writing commentaries on the classics. He died in Lu and was buried in a tomb at Ch-fu, Shandong.