Confucius

Kung-fu-tsu, better known to the Western world as Confucius, was a philosopher, sage, and teacher whose wisdom has shaped Chinese thought for over 2,000 years. Born into a China that was a mosaic of small and often warring states, Confucius developed a philosophy that sought to bring peace and prosperity to all people.

Confucianism was deeply rooted in ethics, virtue, and correct behavior. It taught that each person could contribute to universal harmony if they practiced self-discipline, cultivated their characters, and performed the roles that had been allotted to them. Not everyone could be born a king or lord, but being a good parent or dutiful child could be just as nourishing to the soul and important to a peaceful existence.

To Confucius, happiness came not through gluttony and self-indulgence, but through frugality and duty to others. He believed fulfilling the needs of others could also fill oneself with serenity and gratitude. Forgoing one’s duty to serve, on the other hand, could have wider damaging effects: A ruler who ignored the needs of their subjects might unbalance the cosmos and suffer a reign beset with natural disasters.

Confucius set out four simple virtues that he believed were enough to keep the world in its proper order: benevolence, moral wisdom, righteousness, and observance of traditional rituals. According to Confucianism, ritual brings together a community in peace and helps to cultivate “ren,” a Chinese word meaning humanity, goodness, and love. Confucius taught that once we understand our shared humanity, we open ourselves up to feelings of altruism, respect for one another, and even friendship.

In Confucius’ idea of the ideal state, the rulers were kind, religion was properly celebrated, and the wise were treasured. Despite living in difficult times and often in exile, Confucius spent his life seeking to help others achieve this.

After Confucius’ death in 479 BCE, his disciples spread around the country to advise Chinese rulers in his worldview and political theories. In time, Confucianism became the dominant philosophy in China and other parts of eastern Asia, and remained so for centuries. Confucius’ sayings have endured to this day (and many others have been falsely attributed to the sage).