Confucius(Chinese:孔子;pinyin:Kǒngzǐ;Wade-Giles:K'ung-tzu,orChinese:孔夫子;pinyin:KǒngFūzǐ;Wade-Giles:K'ung-fu-tzu),literally"MasterKong,"[1](traditionallySeptember28,551B.C.E.–479B.C.E.)[2][3]wasaChinesethinkerandsocialphilosopher,whoseteachingsandphilosophyhavedeeplyinfluencedChinese,Korean,JapaneseandVietnamesethoughtandlife.

　　Hisphilosophyemphasizedpersonalandgovernmentalmorality,correctnessofsocialrelationships,justiceandsincerity.ThesevaluesgainedprominenceinChinaoverotherdoctrines,suchasLegalism(法家)orTaoism(道家)duringtheHanDynasty[4][5][6](206B.C.E.–220C.E.).Confucius'thoughtshavebeendevelopedintoasystemofphilosophyknownasConfucianism(儒家).ItwasintroducedtoEuropebytheItalianJesuitMatteoRicci,whowasthefirsttoLatinisethenameas"Confucius."

　　HisteachingsmaybefoundintheAnalectsofConfucius(论语),acollectionof"briefaphoristicfragments",whichwascompiledmanyyearsafterhisdeath.Fornearly2,000yearshewasthoughttobetheeditororauthorofalltheFiveClassics(五经)[7][8]suchastheClassicofRites(礼记)(editor),andtheSpringandAutumnAnnals(春秋)(author).

　　TheformalnameofConfuciuswasKongQiu(孔丘),andhewasalsocalledZhongni(仲尼).Hewasbornin551B.C.intheLu(鲁)State[9](Thisstatewasinthesouthofmodern-dayShandongProvince)inthelaterdaysoftheSpring-AutumnPeriod.Confuciuswasfromawarriorfamily.HisfatherShulianghe(叔梁纥)wasafamouswarriorwhohadmilitaryexploitsintwobattlesandgotafeoff.ButConfuciuslosthisfatherwhenhewasthreeyearsold,andthenhismotherYanZhengzai(颜徵在)tookhimandleftthefeoffbecauseasaconcubine(妾)shewantedtoavoidthemistreatmentofShulianghe'sformalwife.SosincechildhoodConfuciuslivedinpovertywithhismother.Withthesupportandencouragementofhismother,Confuciuswasverydiligentinhisstudies.WhenConfuciuswasseventeenyearsold,hismotherdiedofillnessandoverwork.Threeyearslater,ConfuciusmarriedayoungwomanwhowasfromtheQiguanfamily(亓官氏)ofSong(宋)State.Thoughhehadamildwifewholovedhim,hestilllefthisfamilyandstrivedforhisideals.ConfuciuswantedtorevivetheperfectvirtueofHuaxiaandtheclassicalpropertiesoftheWesternZhouDynastyforbuildingagreatharmoniousandhumanisticsociety.

　　IntheAnalects(论语),Confuciuspresentshimselfasa"transmitterwhoinventednothing".[7]Heputthegreatestemphasisontheimportanceofstudy,[10][11]anditistheChinesecharacterforstudy(orlearning)thatopensthetext.Inthisrespect,heisseenbyChinesepeopleastheGreatestMaster.[12]Farfromtryingtobuildasystematictheoryoflifeandsocietyorestablishaformalismofrites,hewantedhisdisciplestothinkdeeplyforthemselvesandrelentlesslystudytheoutsideworld,[13]mostlythroughtheoldscripturesandbyrelatingthemoralproblemsofthepresenttopastpoliticalevents(liketheAnnals)orpastexpressionsoffeelingsbycommonpeopleandreflectivemembersoftheelite,preservedinthepoemsoftheBookofOdes(诗经).[14][15]

　　Intimesofdivision,chaos,andendlesswarsbetweenfeudalstates,hewantedtorestoretheMandateofHeaven(天命)thatcouldunifythe"world"(天下,allunderHeaven)andbestowpeaceandprosperityonthepeople.[16]Becausehisvisionofpersonalandsocialperfectionswasframedasarevivaloftheordered