Confucius

=Confucius= Confucius was born in China about 2500 years ago, in 551 or 552 BC, and he died in 479 BC. He was a teacher whose ideas are still important today. During his life, he was involved in politics and government but he wasn't very successful. The only thing he was ever really good at was teaching. His ideas influenced many countries in East Asia, especially China, because of his writings. He wrote or edited the Five Classic Texts which explained the principles of a good society.

Confucius's Beliefs
Confucius believed in strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, and respect for elders. He thought that everyone should know their place in life, and this also meant that women should obey this husbands. He believed that everyone had a responsibility to keep learning throughout life. He thought countries needed a 'good ruler' who would care for his subjects because Heaven would reward him if he did it properly. His Golden Rule was "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself",

The influence of Confucius
After his death, right up to 1905, Confucius's ideas were taught to all students who wanted to work in the government, and they had to pass the exam. These ideas were so successful because they suited both the rules and the people that they ruled. Rulers liked these ideas because they encouraged social order and loyalty to the lord, and the people liked Confucianism because it preached human love and rational thinking.

Teacher's Day
Confucius is still honoured on Teacher's Day on September 10 every year. [|Chinese Lives, the People Who Made a Civilization], by Victori H. Mair, Sanping Chen and Frances Wood, Thames and Hudson, 2013, ISBN: 9780500251928, Confucius, [|Wikipedia]
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