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Kongzi (Confucius, a Latinized name) was born in 551 B.C.E., to a poor family of the lower nobility. Throughout his life, he relentlessly tried to gain an office with a prominent ruler of the time who was willing to adopt his various concepts. Unfortunately, Confucius died in 479 B.C.E., before such a change ever took place. However, he succeeded in winning over a handful of devote followers who continued his legacy and Confucianism later went on to become one of the most influential thought systems of Chinese history. Of his followers, Mencius and Xunzi became the most renown. Since Confucius did not succeed in completing a manual of his views, these followers had to derive their own interpretations of the system which now formulate, the Analects. The Analects portray an idealized gentleman, and his various duties in terms of the society, family and the rituals. Confucius explains about the way (Dao) which he believed, that if the people accepted its terms and were willing to abide, they would succeed in creating a utopian society.
By the beginning of the common era, another philosophy emerges and gains wide acceptance among the commoners. Daoism, just like the predecessor and also as the name implies, puts emphasis on "the way," that a certain individual is to abide to. Even though the two systems had differe
Quotes talked about in this paper
- He said "Ritual conduct is the perfection of decorum . .. Sages comprehend it, gentlemen comfortably carries them out, officials preserves them and the common people consider them the custom" ...
- Laozi explains: "For minds, the depth is good. In social relations, human-heartedness is good. In speaking, the trustworthiness is good. In governing order is good" ...
- Laozi declares, "The way that can be discussed is not the constant way . . . nameless is the source of Heaven and earth . .. Their identity can be called a mystery" ...
Names referenced in this essay
Xunzi, Laozi, Ebrey, Kongzi, Sages, Mencius, Yan, Han Feizi, Chu, Shangzi,
Locations included in this essay
China,
Keywords referenced in this essay
Daoism, Confucianism, Confucius, rituals, society, social order, systems, common, political society, many ways, common denominator, common grounds, strict, common era, common people, government policies, Han Feizi, political structure, First Emperor, social relations, mystery, Xunzi, well known, human mind, Laozi, sacred texts, Analects, the other, individual, gentleman, China, interpretations, various, wide, official, numerous, the other two, explanation, explains, decorum, idealized, idealistic, warring, truthfulness, immense, instability, Mencius, trustworthiness, code, generosity,
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