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Confucius

Confucius

10 6.5
An ancient Chinese teacher and thinker whose sayings shape ideas about respect and proper behaviour
  • proper noun
  • /kənˈfjuːʃəs/
: Confucio
  • Two of the first educators to put emphasis on the learner were Confucius and Socrates (5th to 4th centuries B.C.).
  • the Analects of Confucius
  • Confucius Foundation
  • biography of Confucius

Buddha, Lao Chu were contemporaries, as was Confucius and Zoroaster and Socrates.

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Examples

  • The teachings of Confucius emphasize the importance of ethics and morality in personal conduct.

  • One cannot leave the subject of China without saying a word about Confucius, the man whose thought has dominated Chinese history.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Korea was a society strictly oriented toward the philosophy and values of Confucius.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Viewed through the lens of a modern educator, Confucius was about 25 centuries ahead of his time in his teaching techniques.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Starting in 2004, the Ministry of Education began establishing Confucius Institutes in collaboration with foreign universities and other institutions.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Many of Confucius's ideas about leadership and governance are still studied in modern politics.

  • In his birthplace, Qufu, visitors can learn about the philosophy of Confucius and its impact on Chinese culture.

Synonyms

K'ung Futzu
vsConfucius
  • Archaic
9.9

A Chinese teacher and thinker whose ideas form the basis of Confucianism

is the same person but uses the modern English romanization form

Surface Forms

Confucius main

Etymology

Confucius is the European form of the Chinese name Kong Fuzi, where Kong is his family name and Fuzi means 'master' or 'teacher', so the name means 'Master Kong'. That is why Confucius is remembered as a great teacher and thinker whose ideas became the base of Confucianism.