Classical Confucianism I

This article provides an introduction to Confucianism. Confucius (551–479 bce) was born during the Spring and Autumn period in Qufu, a town in the state of Lu in central China, when the glory of the early Zhou dynasty was declining but still in fresh memory in the minds of the people. Confucius considered himself a “transmitter” rather than a creator. The wisdom that he taught, according to himself, was already entailed in the ancient traditional rituals, the history, music, poetry, and limited written works, which were, though corrupted in the ages of turmoil, still available at the time. He is believed to have edited some of the most basic Chinese classic books, including the Book of Rites, the Book of History, the Book of Odes, the Book of Music, and the Book of Changes. There is a spiritual and religious dimension in Confucianism, which contains a strong sense of mission, a journey that is not supposed to end before one's death, and an aim even more important than life itself.

Epistemology · Neo-Confucianism · Chinese history and philosophy · Philosophy

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