Biography chinese confucius short

551 BCE–479 BCE

Quick Facts

NAME: Confucius
BORN: 551 BCE
DIED: 479 BCE
BIRTHPLACE: Qufu, China

Who Was Confucius?

Confucius, also known as Kong Qiu or K’ung Fu-tzu, was a Chinese philosopher, teacher and political figure.

His teachings, preserved in the Analects, focused on creating ethical models of family and public interaction and setting educational standards. After his death, Confucius became the official imperial philosophy of China, which was extremely influential during the Han, Tang and Song dynasties.

Early Life and Family

Confucius was born probably in 551 B.C.

(lunar calendar) in present-day Qufu, Shandong Province, China.

Little is known of Confucius’ childhood. Records of the Historian, written by Ssu-ma Chi’en (born 145 B.C.; died 86 B.C.) offers the most detailed account of Confucius’ life.

However, some contemporary historians are skeptical as to the record’s accuracy, regarding it as myth, not fact.

According to Records of the Historian,