Zhou Dynasty East Zhou Dynasty • The Spring & Autumn Period (770-476 BC)

An Important Period for the Making of Chinese Traditional Culture

10 Confucius

A Most Important Philosopher in Chinese History

Confucius (551-479 BC) established Ru School, and was a most important philosopher in Chinese history.

Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty made many independent sub-states in China. After 400 years, the authority of central government faded away and the sub-states began to fight and conquer each other, which symbolized the arrival of the Spring & Autumn Period. In this special time, all the emperors of sub-state devoted to seek capable talents attempting to make their state stronger, a circumstance that helped produce many famous politicians, strategists and diplomats. The time also gave rise to a variety of thinkers, philosophers who established their schools, doctrines, and wrote their scholarly books, a phenomenon famously labeled in Chinese history as “hundred schools of thought contend”.

Confucius was the follower of Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty, and even of Emperor Yao & Shun. In the chaotic situation of the Spring & Autumn Period, Confucius highly admired brilliant deeds of Emperor Zhou, and put blame of current situation to the “fading away of propriety and music”. He believed that the country could return to peace and harmony only when the “policy of propriety and music” could be recovered. He created Ru School, the core doctrine of which was “Restraining individual desire and recovering propriety”. Confucius also called for establishing a good relationship among people with love, loyalty, filialness and honesty.

But Confucius’ concepts didn’t correspond to the rigid reality. He had been the premier of his mother state Lu (in south Shandong Province) and made it a prosperous and stable state, but he was dismissed three months later. He had to start a “promotion journey” to many states hoping that some emperors might adopt his policy, but there was none

Then Confucius began to take his education career. He had 3000 students, of whom 72 were regarded elites. He described himself as an unsatisfied learner and tireless teacher. He taught students “How to be a man” and “How to be an official”, wanting his students to cherish an aspiration of “cultivating self moral integrity, making a harmonious family, managing a state, and finally making a peaceful and harmonious world”. Many of Confucius teachings were included in a popular classics Lun Yu, or The Confucius Analects. The contents of the book were mostly Confucius’ daily words and deeds, compiled by some of his important students.

Ru School didn’t stand out from other schools when Confucius was alive. It was in Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu accepted Dong Zhongshu, a Ru scholar’s proposal, highlighted Ru as the national ruling doctrine. In Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi, another great Ru scholar improved Ru by assimilating Buddhism and Taoism to create a new “Li Doctrine” (see piece 38, 85).

In China, Ru doctrine had dominated all cultural fields: philosophy, politics, sociology, ideology for thousands of years. Its influence was deeply rooted in anything and everywhere. If there was no Ru religion, there would be no Chinese culture.