Kong Fuzi, known in the West as Confucius, was a Chinese teacher who lived in a time of war and disorder. He taught that social harmony depends on personal virtue, respect for ritual, and good relations between parents and children, rulers and subjects. His ideas shaped Chinese and East Asian culture for more than two thousand years.
Core ideas
Society is harmonious when each person cultivates virtue and fulfills their role
Rituals and good manners educate character and strengthen social bonds
Good rulers lead by moral example, not by fear of punishment
The tradition: Confucian
Confucianism is the ethical and political tradition based on the teachings of Confucius, centered on virtue, family, and social order. Confucius is its founder.
