Confucius
Confucius was a thinker and social philosopher. He established Confucianism. In China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia, his teachings and concepts altered the way people thought and lived. Confucius (about 551-479 BCE) has been depicted in Chinese history as a teacher, counselor, editor, philosopher, reformer, and prophet. Confucius, a Latinized form of Kong's surname with the honorific suffix "Master" (fuzi), has also become a global metonym for a number of aspects of traditional East Asian civilization. Because of his connection to many of East Asia's key beliefs and cultural practices, as well as his portrayal as a predecessor of "Eastern" thinking in Early Modern Europe, Confucius is possibly the most important thinker in East Asian history.
Confucius was born near the end of the Spring and Autumn Period in Chinese history (770-481 BCE). Lu, an eastern Chinese provincial state in what is now Shandong province's centre and southern sections, was his home. Lu, like other regional kingdoms at the time, was bound to the Zhou dynasty's imperial court by history, culture, familial ties (going back to the dynasty's inception, when Zhou kings' relatives were enfeoffed as heads of regional states), and moral obligations.
- Born :c. 551 BCEZou, State of Lu
- Died: c. 479 BCE
- Resting place: Cemetery of Confucius, State of Lu
