Why Is Confucius Famous?
Confucius was a Chinese man who began his work herding sheep and cows before going on to philosophy and politics. It was in these fields that Confucius became famous for his own distinct views and opinions. Confucius started his own brand of philosophy that was meant to encourage people to live their lives a certain way all the time to ensure their quality of life.
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Personal Life
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Born in 551 BC, Confucius was a Chinese man whose father passed away when he was three. Confucius was part of a middle class family and became very depressed after the passing of his mother. Many of the viewpoints and career choices that made Confucius famous became prevalent after he dealt with the death of his mother. Confucius married at 19 and had three children. He passed away in 479 BC.
Ideas and Philosophy
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Confucius believed that people should live their lives in moderation and always take their responsibilities in life seriously no matter what they were. He believed that people lost control of their lives as they started to take them in directions that their responsibilities did not dictate. He believed that all governments should be accountable for the well being of their people rather than looking out for their own interests. According to Confucius, leaders should always lead by example, whether it be their families or the people they govern.
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Jobs
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While he began as a farmhand, Confucius began learning traditions and rituals after the passing of his mother. He taught what he learned and began to develop ideas of his own. As political leaders learned of him, Confucius later became the minister of justice and prime minister of the ancient Chinese state of Lu. Confucius eventually became disenchanted with the Lu government and left his job a little over a decade before his death.
Followers
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After Confucius passed away, many of his students began spreading his teachings. The "Edited Conversations" compilation contained conversations between Confucius and his students, and it helped gain attention for all of his philosophical leanings. When the Han Dynasty took over China more than 200 years after Confucius' death, his teachings became the center of their ideas. They believed that things would go well in China as long as they set the right example for the people in lower social classes.
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