A Short History of Confucius

Confucius was born in 551 BC, during China’s Spring and Autumn Period. In this era, the nation suffered much social unrest. At the time many corrupt dukes ruled while the king remained a figurehead with little power.

From a young age Confucius showed an interest in studying the Classics. By the age of thirty it is said he began to teach in his home state, Lu. As his reputation grew, so did his political status until he became the Prime Minister of Lu.

While in office, he tried to instill the government with the moral values he felt were a key part of being a successful person and a respectable leader. The nobles in Lu, however, did not agree with his ideas on morality, so at age fifty-five, Confucius left his home. He and many of his pupils began to travel and teach across a large portion of China. When he was sixty-eight the new nobles of Lu invited Confucius to return. He took their offer and continued to teach until 479 BC, when he died at the age of seventy-three.

Throughout his travels his students found him to be pleasurable company, even a singer and a musician. Confucius also married and had one son, however, he survived both his wife and child. After his death, Confucius’ students came together to compile the notes each had taken during their discussions with the Master. They called the finished product Sayings Discussed, often translated as The Analects.

Behind the scenes: Preliminary information before the real blogging begins

The only idea I had bore ridiculous resemblance to the commonly referred to ‘travel blog.’ I hated it. Countless people worldwide, some friends of mine, put their lives to URL every day. Perhaps my inferiority complex drove me to this point, but I remember a voice in my head saying, “You have to do something different.” However, all the ideas subsequent to this thought were lame at best. So I waited. I waited for inspiration to strike, for my muse to rush in, like a knight on a white horse, and save the day. And I prayed.

Finally, in the middle of the Confucianism lecture in my World Religions class my prayer was answered. I deemed it the Confucius Experiment and now, nearly six months later, it begins.

We all know something about Confucius and if you don’t you soon will. He lived at a time when major schools of philosophy were in their first stages of development. The prophet Isaiah lived within generations before Confucius, while the Greek playwright Sophocles lived right after. Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the founder of Buddhism, was Confucius’ contemporary. On every major continent, men like Pythagorus, Lao tze, Lehi and Nephi, and others were helping people put philosophies on human behavior into practice. From 140 BC his teachings have played a major role in the shaping of today’s China. His analects are sources of wisdom in that at the “core of morality, according to him, is humanity,” (Wangdao 14).

I have given much thought to the subject since that day in class. I know that he and his contemporaries had special roles to fulfill in their lives. My hope is to tap into the truths Confucius taught by applying one of his teachings to my life every week. For this reason I greatly look forward to how Confucius’ words will help me in a new country, especially since it is his homeland. As a sidenote, it is highly likely that Confucius never had a female pupil in his time. With that I will end here, leaving open-ended hopes for the upcoming semester fill in the blanks.