Google Celebrates Confucius' 2,560th Birthday
Recently Google is featuring more and more 'ancient history' in their daily logo-designs. I joked about the Staffordshire Treasure getting it's own - following Ida to eternal internet fame - but apparently, today we're celebrating the famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher Confucius' 2,560th birthday. Philosopher Kong Qui through his teachings founded Confucianism, a complex system of moral, social, political and philosophical thoughts that has a tremendous influence on the history - and even still on today's culture - of East Asia.
Confucius was born 551BC (two-and-a-half centuries before the Terracotta Warrior's First Emperor) and although from humble background, started age 15 devoted most of his life to learning, 'for the sake of the self'. Confusius is often quoted as saying, "At 15, I set my heart on learning; at 30, I firmly took my stand; at 40, I had no delusions; at 50, I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at 60, my ear was attuned to the truth; at 70, I followed my heart's desire without overstepping the boundaries of what was right."
Confucius placed great importance on the family life. Family was seen as a training ground for life, with the family being responsible for educating the child to be a good member of society. Confucius emphasized the importance of education, it's aim to turn people into good family members, responsible members of society, and good subjects of the emperor.
In many ways, the government was regarded as an extension of the household. The emperor and his officials were referred to as the parents of the citizenry. Their subjects owed them the same loyalty that they owed to the elder members of their family.
However, the emperor had duties to fulfil as well. For a society to be well ordered and for people to live in peace and prosper, it was necessary to have a good government and a virtuous leader. It was the duty of the emperor and his administrators and warlords to set a good example for their subjects. The good example set by the ruler would transform the people, and make them better.
Confucius believed that only the wisest and most humane men should rule. He further believed that if the emperor was not morally perfect, heaven would cause the world to suffer.
Some famous sayings attributed to Confucius
- Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
- He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
- Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
- The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.
- The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
Confucius' teachings weren't always that popular and studied as they are today. When Confuscius turned 50, he retired from the positions he held and started to travel around China, for 13 years long offering - often unsolicited - advise to it's rulers, administrators and warlords. "No intelligent monarch arises; there is not one in the kingdom that will make me his master. My time has come to die," are said to be Confucius' final words, uttered when he died at the age of 72. At the time of his death, the philosopher was nothing more but an unrecognised teacher, and - if the above words are true - very disappointed about his achievements. Legend goes that the year after his death his cottage was turned into a temple where his followers gathered for a mourning period of three years.
Although Confucius did not gain much momentum when we was still alive, after his death his deciples started teaching and eventually 'Confucianism' was practised in many of the royal courts in China, and until the end of 19th century his teachings were the official imperial philosophy
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