Essays on Confucius

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher, educator, and political figure. He is traditionally credited with being the founder of Confucianism, an ethical and philosophical system that has deeply influenced East Asian cultures for centuries. Confucius’s life began in 551 BC in what is now the province of Shandong. As a child he studied hard to learn about history, music, and philosophy from his father who worked as a politician. When he reached adulthood he became a teacher himself and eventually served as an official at the court of Lu state during the Zhou dynasty period.Confucius’s teachings were based on morality, justice, loyalty, respect for elders and superiors, filial piety (respect for one’s parents), honesty and trustworthiness. His beliefs can be summarized by saying Do not do unto others what you would not want done to yourself or What you do not wish for yourself do not to your neighbor which are both found in The Analects (a collection of his sayings). He believed that if these principles were followed then society could reach harmony; something he thought was essential to its wellbeing. To achieve this goal Confucius taught that people should work together toward common goals by engaging in self-improvement through study and contemplation as well as showing respect to those around them including their rulers no matter how difficult it may seem because only with such effort could true peace be achieved.The teachings of Confucius have had lasting effects on Chinese culture throughout history even gaining influence elsewhere like Japan where they formed much of the basis for Japanese ethics today known as Bushido or the way of the warrior”. This legacy continues into modern times with many people still striving to live up to ideals set forth by this great teacher 2500 years ago.