Confucius and His Teachings Sec 2 The life

Confucius and His Teachings Sec. #2

The life of Confucius • Confucius was called Kong Fu Zi or Master Kong by the Chinese • He was born in 551 B. C. to a noble but poor family • He lost his father at the age of 3 and his mother raised him by herself • He became a teacher

Later on in Confucius’s Life • Confucius wandered about North China looking for a ruler who would follow his teachings • Confucius was not successful and returned home disappointed • He died in 479 B. C.

The Teachings of Confucius • Confucius wanted to pass ways to help the leaders change to bring peace, stability and prosperity to their kingdoms • After his death, his students gathered up his sayings and published a philosophy or system of beliefs and values and the philosophy was called Confucianism

The Ordering of Society • Confucius’ goal was to give order to society • Proper behavior would bring order and peace • People should know their place in the family and society • People should respect above and below them

Correct Behavior • • Ruler to ruled Father to son Husband to wife Brother to younger brother Friend to friend People in authority must set a good example “Do not do unto others what you would not want done to yourself. ”

The Impact of Confucius • Confucianism affected Chinese government • The civil service was formed to allow everyone to work for the government as long as they passed the exam based on the teachings of Confucius