Confucius and Confucianism Essay -- Religion

One of the most famous people in ancient China was a wise philosopher named Confucius (circa 551-479 BC). He was a great Chinese philosopher, educator, and political figure. His teachings and proverbs are in the Analects, which is the base of many Chinese theories. He was born in the village of Zou, and the state of Lu. His father died three years after Confucius' birth leaving the family in destitution, but Confucius did have a decent education. He was married at the age of 19 and had one son and two daughters. He worked as a keeper of a market. Then he was a farm worker who took care of parks and farm animals. When he was 20, he worked for the governor of his province. After a while he decided to teach, and he began traveling around and teaching few disciples that gathered around him. He became known as a man of learning and character. He had a great personality which people were attracted to. His respect for typical Chinese customs soon spread through out Lu. Confucius lived in China when it was really unsettled. The rulers were catastrophic, and Confucius thought the only way to keep life in order was for everyone to go back to traditional principles. He wanted China to go back to the quiet days of the "sage Kings". This was a time in Chinese history when Kings ruled organized kingdoms. They were peaceful because everyone knew their place in life and acted accordingly. Confucius taught in his school his beliefs about respecting family and ancestors for many years. His theories and principles were spread throughout China by his disciples, and soon many people learned from his wise sayings. One of his rules said, "Rulers can be great only if t... ...who was a devout follower of Confucious. These nine books were considered all you needed to live a good life. Confucianism started in 136 BC when Wudi?s advisors finally convinced Emperor Wudi that Confucianism was the superior school. Soon, emperor Wudi set up a Confucian academy to train officials. In order to get to the Confucian academy, there were a series of examinations. The examination system spread throughout China and the books previously listed became the basis for these examinations. First there were the preliminary exams. After that, the first level, if you passed your social class would be raised higher. Then the second level,which only one in a hundred passed. Finally the final exam, and the few that passed this exam then had an interview with the emperor who hand picked finalists for the highest government posts.