孔子英文介绍

1.ABriefIntroductionConfucius(551—479BC),knowninChinaasKongzi,givennameQiuandaliasZhongni,wasanativeofZouyi(陬邑)(present-dayQufuinShandongProvince)oftheStateofLuduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod.Agreatthinker,educatorandfounderofConfucianism,ConfuciusisanancientsagetotheChinesepeople.HiswordsandlifestorywererecordedbyhisdisciplesandtheirstudentsinTheAnalects.Ithasinfluencedallthinkers,writersandpoliticiansintheover-2000-year-longhistoryofChinaafterConfucius.2.Confucius:HisPrimaryIdeology2.1ConfuciusonHeaven:theSourceofEverything2.2ConfuciusonPeople:renandli2.3ConfuciusontheStateofLife2.1ConfuciusonHeaven:theSourceofEverythingIntheShangandZhoudynasties,theprevalentconceptof“Heaven”wasthatofapersonifiedgod.However,Confuciusregarded“Heaven”asnature.Hesaid,“Heavendoesnotspeakinwords.Itspeaksthroughtherotationofthefourseasonsandthegrowthofalllivingthings.”Moreover,naturewasthegreatworldoflifeandtheprocessofcreationoflife.Humanlifewaspartandparcelofnatureasawhole.Confucius’equationofHeavenwiththecreationoflifewasaninnovativeideainhistime.Thenaturalprocessoflifecreationwasthe“wayofHeaven.”ThisideawaslaterdevelopedinTheBookofChanges,asitstated“Continuouscreationoflifeischange.”Asthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenwasthesourceofalllivingthingsandthesourceofallvalues.Thiswasthe“virtueofHeaven.”Inthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenhaditsinnerpurposeincreatingallthingsaswellasprotectingandimprovinglife.Heavenhadoriginatedhumanity,andhumanswereobligedtoaccomplishthispurpose.Inotherwords,humansarebornwithasenseof“heavenlymission,”andthisisthemeaningofhumanlife.Confucian“Heaven”alsohadacertainsacredelement,whichwasrelatedtoitbeingthesourceoflife.ThusConfuciusrequiredpeopletoholdHeaveninawe.Hesaysthatapersonofvirtuemust“respecthisheavenlymission,”listentoandliveoutthepurposeofHeavenbycaringforandimprovinglife.UndertheinfluenceofConfucius,theancientChinesedevelopedasenseofaweandbeliefinHeaven.Ifoneremained“ignorantanddisrespectfulofone’sheavenlymission”bykillingormaiminglife,onewouldbepunishedbyHeaven.Inthe21stcentury,theConfuciancaveatof“standinginaweoftheordinancesofHeaven”stillholdstrue,ashumansocietybeginstopayattentiontoecologicalcivilization.2.2ConfuciusonPeople:renandliRenandIiarethetwocoreconceptsofConfucius’doctrineaboutpeople.LoveofpeopleisConfucius’mostimportantinterpretationofren.Loveforthepeopleisuniversallove.Confuciusfurtheremphasizedthatthiskindofloveshould“beginwiththeloveofone’sparents.”Confuciusregarded“filialpietyandfraternalduty”astheessenceofren.Healsosaid,“Childrenshouldnottravelfarwhiletheirparentsarealive.Iftheyhavenochoicebuttodoso,theymustretainsomerestraint.”(父母在，不远游，游必有方)Hedidnotmeanthatchildrenshouldnotleavetheirparentsatall.Whathemeantwasthatchildrenshouldnotmaketheirparentsanxiousaboutthemwhileawayfromhome.Confuciussaidagain,“Childrenshouldthinkoftenoftheageoftheirparents.Theyshouldfeelhappyforthehealthandlongevityoftheirparents.Theyshouldalsofeelconcernfortheagingoftheirparents.”Howshouldpeopleloveoneanotherthen?①Oneshouldbeawarethatotherpeoplemayhavesimilardesiresasoneself.Whilefulfillingone’sdesires,allowotherstofulfilltheirdesiresaswell.②Donotdotowardothersanythingyouwouldnotwanttobedonetoyou.（己所不欲勿施于人）Thusfromoneselftoone’sfamily,fromfamilytosociety,oneshouldextendlovetoallpeople.Lireferstorituals,traditionsandnormsinsociallife.Ofthese,Confuciusregardedburialritualsandancestralworshipritualsasthemostimportant,becausetheyarosefromhumanfeelings.Hesaid,“Achildshouldnotleavehisparents’bosomuntilheisthreeyearsold.”Henaturallylovedhisparents.Theritualofwearingmourningforadeceasedparentforthreeyearswasanexpressionofthechild’sloveandremembrance.Lialsohasphilosophicalimplications.Whileindividualshavealimitedlifespan,lifeinnatureiseverlasting.Lifeisgivenbyone’sparentsandextendedthroughone’schildren.Inthisway,alimited,individuallifebecomesmergedwiththelimitlesslifeofnature;theindividualdreamofeternallifecanthuscometrue.Throughburialritualsandancestralworshiprituals,peopleareabletoexperiencetheeverlastingcontinuityoflife,appreciatingthevalueandmeaningoflife.Thisgivespeoplemetaphoricalsolace.BeforeConfucius,onlythenobilityhadtherighttoeducation.HewasthefirstfigureinChinesehistorytoinitiateprivateeducation.Accordingtohistoricalrecords,Confuciustaughtformanyyearsandtrained3,000disciples.Agreateducator,Confuciushasbeenadmiredbylatergenerationsasthe“sageofsages.”2.3ConfuciusontheStateofLifeConfuciusbelievedthebasicgoalofeducationwastocultivate“personsofvirtue,”whoshouldhavesoundcharacterandupliftedminds.Suchpersonsshouldbeabletoshoulderimportantsocialresponsibilitiesandtomakecontributionstosociety.Confuciusregardedloftyideals,greatvirtue,loveofpeople,andthe“sixarts”asthegeneralprinciplesofeducation.Ofthese,virtuewasthemostimportant.Confuciusemphasizedaestheticeducation.Hesaid,“StudyingTheBookofSongs(Shijing)inspiresthespiritandhelpsoneappreciatebeauty.StudyingTheBookofRites(Zhouli)enablesonetobehaveproperlyasapersonofenlightenment.Studyingmusicliftsthespiritandhelpsonetoenjoylife.”Healsosaid,“Simpl