Confucianism Founder

Confucius (551 - 479 BCE) founded Confucianism, also known as Kong Fuzi or Kongzi. Confucius was born into an aristocratic family but spent most of his childhood impoverished. Confucius's father, a commander for the Chinese state of Lu, died when he was three.

Confucius was raised by his mother and studied the Six Arts in school, learning Rites, Music, Archery, Chariot Riding, Calligraphy, and Math. Confucius married at 19, and his wife bore him a son when he was 20, he did not settle for a simple life with his family.

Confucius spent the majority of his adult life traveling between Chinese states, serving in the courts of Lu, Song, Zheng, Cao, and Cai, to name a few. During his travels, he gathered many disciples, his powerful teachings finding receptive ears in each city and principalities he visited or served in.

Confucius's intention was not to find a new religion but to interpret and revive the unnamed faith of the Zhou dynasty, during which many people believed the ancient system of religious rule was bankrupt; why couldn't the gods prevent social upheavals?

The burning question of the day was: If not ancestral and nature spirits, what is the foundation of a stable, unified, and enduring social order? The dominant view of the day, as advocated by Realists and Legalists, was that strict law and statecraft were the foundations of sound policy.