What is Confucius?
[[File:Confucius - Project Gutenberg eText 15250.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|A picture of Confucius, in ''Myths & Legends of China'', 1922, by E.T.C. Werner]] {{Confucianism}} '''Confucius''' (born 551 BC, died 479 BC) was an important [[China|Chinese]] [[educator]] and [[philosopher]]. His original name was Kong Qiu or Zhong Ni. As a child, he was eager to learn about everything, and was very interested in [[ritual]]s. Although he grew up in extreme poverty, it did not stop his curiosity from growing. He was a very dedicated student, especially in his teenage years. It is not known how he received his formal education, but he mastered many subjects of the arts. Once he grew up, he worked as a state official who handled farms and cattle. Then he became a teacher. Confucius lived in a time when many states were fighting [[war]]s in [[China]]. This period was called the Spring and Autumn period of the [[Zhou Dynasty]]. Confucius did not like this and wanted to bring [[order]] back to [[society]]. == Teaching == Like [[Socrates]], Confucius sometimes did not answer [[Philosophy|philosophical]] questions himself. Instead he wanted people to think hard about problems and to learn from others, especially from [[history]]. Confucius also thought that people should get [[Influence|power]] because they were good and skilled, and not just because they came from powerful [[family|families]]. Confucius wanted people to think about other people more than about [[money]] or what they owned. However he also felt that there should be strong [[rule]]s in society and that people needed to obey them. Confucius thought that there were five relationships people could have, and that they all had their own rules. Two people could be * [[Prince]] and [[wikt:subject|Subject]] * [[Father]] and [[Son]] * [[Husband]] and [[Wife]] * [[Elder]] and [[Child]] * or [[Friend]]s These were traditional relationships called the 'five prototypes'. Confucius said that in all these relationships, both people must obey rules. For example, a subject m