Confucius (551–479 BC) was a thinker, statesman, and educator of the late Spring and Autumn period, as well as the founder of the Confucian school of thought. Born Kong Qiu, with the courtesy name Zhongni, he was a native of Zouyi in the State of Lu (located in present-day southeast Qufu, Shandong Province).
Someone asked Confucius about Zi Chan. The Master said, “He was a man who showed kindness to the people.”He then asked about Zi Xi. Confucius replied, “That man! That man!” (a dismissive and evasive expression).He further asked about Guan Zhong. Confucius said, “He was a true man! He confiscated three hundred households of Bo…
The Master said, “To send the people into battle without first instructing them is to abandon them.”
What is meant by “governing the state must begin with regulating one’s family” is this:There has never been anyone who could not teach his own family yet was able to instruct others.
Following in the footsteps of Confucius, Mencius (Mengzi, 372–289 BCE) stands as the second great sage of Confucianism, whose teachings solidified and expanded the philosophical system laid by his predecessor. His work, Mencius, a collection of dialogues, debates, and moral arguments, is not merely a supplement to The Analects – it is a foundational…
Chunyu Kun asked Mencius: “Is it true that, according to ritual propriety, men and women should not directly hand things to each other?”