The Influences of Confucius

Confucius is believed to have been born in 551 M (' in the state of Lu, known today as the Shandong province. His parents, who died while he was still a child, named him Kung Fu-tse. Westerners who found (the original Chinese name a little too tough on their tongues promptly westernized it "Confucius" just as they had westernized numerous other names of famous Asian philosophers and scientists.

Confucius was the most influential and respected philosopher in Chinese history. His ideas were the single strongest influence on Chinese society from around 100 BC till the early 20th century. The Chinese governments throughout this period of two millennia had made his ideas their official state philosophy. Confucian theories and philosophies were even exported to neighboring countries and honored as wise and noble ideals.

Confucius wanted the post of imperial advisor to the emperor because he believed that he could change the decadent society in which he lived. Strangely, Confucius never gained that position which he so deeply coveted. In fact, Confucianism became known due to some of his industrious disciples who penned the Analects. Confucius himself never writes down any of his own teachings. If not for his disciples who took the trouble to record his conversations and discourses in the analects, Confucius would today be an unknown Kung Fu-tse.

When the teachings of Confucius were spread across China, the people accepted his teachings for their sound principles. The emperor himself was so taken in by these teachings that they were made the official state philosophy.

Confucianism then affected everything in China; education, government, public and private attitudes and, etiquette. Confucianism is not a religion, but a philosophy and a guide to morality and good government.

At the time Confucius was born, China was in a constant state of war, and rapid political change altered the structure of Chinese society so much that people no longer respected the established social behavior and norms. Confucius stated that the ideal person was one of good moral character. The ideal person was also truly reverent in worship and sincerely respected his father and his ruler. He was expected to think for himself, guided by definite rules of conduct. As Confucius said, he was expected to take "as much trouble to discover what was right as lesser men take to discover what will pay".