In Chinese tradition, September 28 is the day on which the birth of Confucius is celebrated – the philosopher, teacher and political thinker who lived in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. It is believed that he was born in 551 BC in the state of Lu, in the area of present-day Qufu. However, the exact day is not proven by historical sources, and the date September 28 itself is a later tradition. Confucius died in 479 BC.
His birth name was Kun Qiu. The name Confucius comes from the Latinized form of the honorific address Kunfuzi – “Master Confucius“. He lived in a time of political fragmentation, when the rulers of individual states in China competed for power, and the old order of the Zhou dynasty gradually collapsed.
From official to teacher
Confucius's father died when he was still young. The family retained a noble lineage, but not wealth. As a young man, Confucius studied the rituals, music, history, and classical culture of the Zhou. Traditional accounts indicate that he also knew the six arts - ritual, music, archery, chariot driving, writing, and arithmetic.
Confucius worked as an official and served aristocratic families in Lu. Later, he left the state and traveled between several states, including Wei, Chen, Cao, Song, Cai, and Chu. He looked for a ruler who would implement his idea of governing by moral example, but did not find lasting political support. At the end of his life, he returned to Lu and devoted himself mainly to teaching and transmitting the classical texts.
Confucius did not leave behind a book written by him personally. His conversations with students and followers are collected in the “Lunyu“, known in Bulgarian as the “Discourses“ or “Analects“. The collection was formed after his death and contains different layers of traditions, which makes modern researchers be careful when attributing each individual phrase.
Formulas that have become rules of life
The most popular thought associated with Confucius is: “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you“. In the “Discourses“ this formula is part of a conversation about humanity – virtue, which in Chinese is written with the concept zhen. It can be translated as humanity, compassion or the ability to consider others.
Another famous thought is: „Learning without thinking is futile; thinking without learning is dangerous“. For Confucius, knowledge is not a mechanical accumulation of facts. It must change character and behavior.
Among his emblematic formulas are: „When I walk with two others, either of them can be my teacher“ and „Knowing what you know and knowing what you do not know - that is knowledge“. They meet two of the constant themes in his teachings - willingness to learn from others and humility in the face of one's own ignorance.
Order begins with personal example
Confucius linked good society to the education of character. Among the main virtues in the tradition associated with him are humanity, justice, ritual propriety, wisdom and trust. Ritual for him is not just an external ceremony, but a way for a person to learn respect, self-control and responsibility.
He believed that a ruler should rule primarily by personal example. Laws and punishments can force people to obey, but only the good behavior of the ruler can build lasting trust. It was this idea that later made Confucius a central figure in the education, administration, and political culture of China and other societies in East Asia.
After his death, his disciples spread his teachings, and centuries later, Confucian texts became the basis of state education in China. Thus, the philosopher, who during his lifetime failed to convince rulers to fully follow his path, gradually became one of the most influential teachers in history.
Sources: academic.oup.com, plato.stanford.edu