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Confucius By Vickie

1 In the long history of , there is one dominant school of thought that Chinese have followed closely for more than 2,000 years. That school of thought was established by (551 B.C. - 479 B.C.), the most respected teacher and in China.

2 Confucius was born during an era of chaos. At the time, the emperor of the dynasty became a mere figurehead. He did not have full control of the country. Instead, he was like a puppet domineered by hundreds of warlords. These military powerhouses spilt China into smaller states and fought among themselves endlessly. The on-going wars put the in disarray. Moral values were low. Divides between rich and poor were wide. And crime rates were high. Historians call this chaotic time the (770 B.C. - 476 B.C.)

3 It was against this backdrop that Confucius formed his and set out to publicize it.

4 Confucius believed "" ( ) is the highest attainable level in that people must strive to achieve. The word "ren" means "benevolence," "," or "kindness" in Chinese. To practice "ren," Confucius encouraged his followers to love others, to honor one's parents, to adore one's siblings, and to do what is right. He had extensive conversations with his students on this topic. One time, a disciple asked if there is a word a person can use as a rule of conduct; Confucius replied, "Reciprocity." He then explained, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." This seemingly simple verse underlies the core of "ren."

5 Throughout Confucius' lifetime, he was looking for an opportunity to put his theories to the test. He first tried as a civil servant. But that did not really work out. Most of the positions Confucius held were minor, low-ranking ones. Then a big break came when he was in his fifties. Confucius was promoted to be the Minister of Crime in his home state, . He introduced many reforms. He carried out fairly. And he managed to lower the crime rate. Unfortunately, that success was short-lived. Quickly, the ruler of Lu lost interest in governing. He began to spend more of his time playing around. Confucius tried to counsel the ruler of Lu, but his advice was ignored. Frustrated, Confucius resigned from the post and left the state of Lu.

6 Accompanied by his disciples, Confucius traveled from one state to another to advocate his philosophy. The wandering led to no fruitful result. He never came across another opportunity to put his theories to the test. After on the road for 14 years www.edhelperblog.com/cgi-bin/vspec.cgi?FORMMODE=RC42_4_1&QUICK=1 1/5 2/21/13 www.edhelperblog.com/cgi-bin/vspec.cgi?FORMMODE=RC42_4_1&QUICK=1 (some said 13 years), Confucius returned to his home state. He dedicated the rest of his life to teaching and editing historical texts. Confucius was a kind teacher. He taught everybody with the same enthusiasm. He selected five ancient Chinese literatures for his students to study. He called the collection the "Five Classics." Confucius died at the age of 72.

7 After Confucius passed away, his students published a book recording their master's and . That book became known as Lun Yu or .

8 Though Confucius never got to realize his ideas in full swing during his lifetime, his philosophy turned mainstream 200 years later. The emperor from the Western dynasty (206 B.C. - 8 A.D.) canonized (Confucian's school of thought) as the official doctrine. Ever since then, Confucianism has become the standard of ethics. Lun Yu has become the must-read book.

9 Many people think Confucianism is a . They are wrong. Confucianism is actually a set of behavioral and moral guidelines. Its ultimate goal is to make people understand, embrace, and practice "ren."

10 Confucius is a very important figure in Chinese history. To bestow him the deepest respect, Chinese don't refer to Confucius by his birth name, Qiu. Instead, they call him Kong Zi or Kong Fu Zi, meaning "Master Kong" in Chinese. That reverent title later took on a form and became known as Confucius to people living outside of China.

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Name ______Date ______Confucius

1. What period was Confucius from? 2. China was not a unified country during The Summer and Autumn Period the time Confucius lived. There were The Summer and Winter Period hundreds of warlords dividing China into The Spring and Summer Period smaller states. The Spring and Autumn Period False True 3. What is Confucius' birth name? 4. Which of the following is not a meaning Kong Qiu of "ren"? Confucius Kind Kong Zi Selfish Kong Fu Zi Humanity Benevolence 5. Confucius never saw his ideology being 6. Confucius wrote the book Lun Yu (or adopted as the official doctrine during Analects) to advocate his philosophy. his lifetime. False False True True 7. Which dynasty was the first to canonize 8. What was Confucius' last political Confucianism as the official doctrine? position before he left to travel around The Eastern China? The The Minister of Internal Affairs The Western Han dynasty The Minister of Crime The The Minister of Defense The Minister of Finance

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Name ______Date ______Confucius

9. Which of the following about Confucius 10. How many years did Confucius travel is correct? around China to advocate his school of His home state was the state of thought? . 8 He created a religion called 10 Confucianism. 20 He was born during a peaceful 14 time. He was a great teacher.

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Confucius - Answer Key

1 The Spring and Autumn Period 2 True 3 Kong Qiu 4 Selfish 5 True 6 False 7 The Western Han dynasty 8 The Minister of Crime 9 He was a great teacher. 10 14

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