Confucius
Confucius was born on the 28th of September 551 BCE in the town of Zou. This location sits within modern Qufu, Shandong province. His father Kong He served as a commandant for the local Lu garrison. The family traced its ancestry back to the dukes of Song and even the Shang dynasty. Yet some scholars argue this noble lineage was constructed later to serve an ideological purpose. Confucius grew up in poverty after his father died when he was three years old. His mother Yan Zhengzai raised him alone until she passed away before turning forty. At age nineteen he married Lady Qiguan and they had a son named Kong Li. They also had two daughters together.
In the winter of 502 BCE Yang Hu seized power from the Ji family in rebellion. By summer that same year the three hereditary families expelled him. Confucius gained reputation through his teachings during these turbulent times. He eventually rose to become Minister of Crime in Lu. He ordered the execution of Shaozheng Mao who attracted thousands of disciples with his lectures. Confucius sought to restore authority to the duke by dismantling city fortifications. He relied solely on diplomacy without any military force of his own. In 497 BCE Duke Ding failed to raze the walls of Cheng. This failure led to powerful enemies within the state especially Viscount Ji Huan. Confucius departed his homeland in 497 BCE into self-exile. He could not return as long as Viscount Ji Huan remained alive. The neighboring Qi state sent horses and dancing girls to sabotage Lu's reforms. The duke indulged himself for three days neglecting official duties. Confucius waited for a lesser mistake before leaving his post. He traveled across north-eastern China including Wey Song Zheng and Chu.
The Analects opens with the character for study which emphasizes learning above all else. Confucius presented himself as a transmitter who invented nothing new. His moral system centered on benevolence translated as ren or humaneness. This virtue includes seriousness generosity sincerity diligence and kindness. He advised people to do unto others what they did not want done to themselves. This negative form is often called the Silver Rule. Rituals known as li formed another pillar of his philosophy. These included ceremonies sacrifice social institutions and daily etiquette. Music was intrinsically intertwined with rites to structure humanity. Rites ensured obedience while music brought about harmony. Confucius believed that leading by example created a sense of shame internally. If people were led by laws they would avoid punishment but feel no shame. If led by virtue they would become good through internalized duty. He argued that the best government rules through rites rather than coercion.
Confucianism gained widespread prominence under Emperor Wu of Han in 136 BCE. Works attributed to him became required reading for civil service examinations. This requirement continued nearly unbroken until imperial China ended in 1912. During the Warring States period Legalism had won out over other schools. The Qin state adopted legalism as its official doctrine in 221 BCE. It was not until the Han dynasty that Confucian teachings regained dominance. A movement known as Neo-Confucianism revitalized the philosophy during the Song dynasty. Zhu Xi emerged as the most renowned scholar of this revival period. His ideas expanded classical theories by incorporating metaphysics and new approaches to self-cultivation. Buddhist and Daoist influences shaped his advocacy of quiet sitting meditation. These techniques led to transformative experiences of insight. Neo-Confucianism held sway across China Japan Korea and Vietnam until the nineteenth century. Modern historians view Zhu Xi's way of thinking as something distinct from original texts.
Michele Ruggieri returned to Italy in 1588 carrying translations of Chinese works. Matteo Ricci began reporting on the thoughts of Confucius to European audiences. A team including Prospero Intorcetta and Philippe Couplet published a translation in Paris in 1687. François Noël completed the Confucian canon at Prague in 1711. This included the first translation of collected works of Mencius. Jesuit missionaries introduced these works to Europe during the late Ming dynasty. The translations had considerable importance for Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire and Leibniz. They were particularly interested in integrating the system of morality into Western civilization. Deists and other philosophical groups studied the integration of Confucian ethics. The name Confucius itself is a Latinized form coined by early Jesuit missionaries. It roughly means Great Master Kong or Wise Teacher Kong.
Red Guard soldiers removed the body of Kong Jingyi from his grave in 1966. They hung his naked body from a tree during the Cultural Revolution campaign. Anti-Confucian sentiment increased further in 1973 when Mao Zedong started a new movement. He branded Confucius with the punning name Kong Lao'er meaning Second Master Kong. This campaign persisted until 1976 as the Cultural Revolution subsided. Confucius was perceived as reflecting slave-driving practices of earlier dynasties. His execution of Shaozheng Mao was seen as bourgeois power games. Charges against him were viewed as trumped-up political maneuvers. Principles such as ren and Zhong became abstract symbols of elitism. All Confucian ceremonies and rites were banned during this period. The tomb of Confucius was attacked by Red Guards repeatedly. In the early 1980s anti-Confucius sentiments finally faded away. Veneration resumed with Communist officials attending ceremonies.
The family tree of the Kongs has been recorded since the death of Confucius. It now stands in its 83rd generation today. Two million known descendants are registered with the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee. Estimates suggest three million exist in total across the world. A project tested DNA of collateral branches to identify a common Y chromosome. Scientists hoped to prove unbroken father-to-son descent from his lifetime. Many collateral branches decided not to agree to testing in 2009. Bryan Sykes noted the cultural significance outweighed scientific questions. A 2013 test found that multiple families shared the same Y chromosome reported by Fudan University. Women were included for the first time in the fifth edition printed in 2009. The southern branch remained in Quzhou while the northern branch kept Qufu. An estimated 34,000 descendants live in Korea today. Some converted to Islam after marrying Muslim women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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Common questions
When and where was Confucius born?
Confucius was born on the 28th of September 551 BCE in the town of Zou. This location sits within modern Qufu, Shandong province.
What happened to Confucius in 497 BCE?
Confucius departed his homeland in 497 BCE into self-exile after Duke Ding failed to raze the walls of Cheng. He could not return as long as Viscount Ji Huan remained alive.
How did Emperor Wu of Han promote Confucianism?
Confucianism gained widespread prominence under Emperor Wu of Han in 136 BCE when works attributed to him became required reading for civil service examinations. This requirement continued nearly unbroken until imperial China ended in 1912.
Who translated Confucius's works into European languages during the late Ming dynasty?
Jesuit missionaries introduced these works to Europe during the late Ming dynasty with a team including Prospero Intorcetta and Philippe Couplet publishing a translation in Paris in 1687. François Noël completed the Confucian canon at Prague in 1711.
Why was Confucius targeted during the Cultural Revolution in China?
Anti-Confucian sentiment increased further in 1973 when Mao Zedong started a new movement that branded Confucius with the punning name Kong Lao'er meaning Second Master Kong. His execution of Shaozheng Mao was seen as bourgeois power games and all Confucian ceremonies and rites were banned during this period.
How many descendants does Confucius have today according to the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee?
Two million known descendants are registered with the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee while estimates suggest three million exist in total across the world. A project tested DNA of collateral branches to identify a common Y chromosome though many collateral branches decided not to agree to testing in 2009.