Confucius (traditionally 551-479 BCE), born Kong Qiu, was a Chinese philosopher and teacher of the Spring and Autumn period, traditionally regarded as the paragon of Chinese sages. Active in the state of Lu, he taught a body of ethical and political thought, later known as Confucianism, that emphasized personal virtue, filial piety, harmonious social relationships, and a ruler's duty to govern by moral example rather than force. His sayings and teachings, compiled by his students in the Analects, became the basis of the Chinese civil examination system for centuries and remain foundational to the shared cultural heritage of East Asia.
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