Confucius Quotes and Sayings

About This Author

Confucius孔子

The teaching Confucius. Portrait by Wu Daozi, 685–758, Tang dynasty .

Born

551 BC

Zou, Lu, Zhou Kingdom

Died

479 BC

Lu, Zhou Kingdom

Nationality

Zhou

Era

Ancient philosophy

Region

Chinese philosophy

School

Confucianism

Main interests

Moral philosophy, social philosophy, ethics

Notable ideas

Confucianism, Golden Rule

Influences

I Ching,Book of Rites,Classic of Poetry

Influenced

Many Chinese philosophers, particularly Mencius, Xun Zi, Zhu Xi and the Neotaoists and the Neoconfucians ; François Quesnay ; Christian Wolff ; Robert Cummings Neville ; Ezra Pound ; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history.

The philosophy of Confucius, also known as Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known in the West as Neo-Confucianism, and later New Confucianism .

Discover Confucius Quotes and Sayings

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.