Confucius was born on Gengzi Day in October, the 22nd year of Duke Xiang of Lu.

I. The Birth of Confucius

Confucius, his surname is Zi, his surname is Kong, his name is Qiu, and his name is Qiu. In the past, "Zi" was often added to their surnames to show respect for learned and moral people. Confucius was born on Gengzi Day in October, the 22nd year of Duke Xiang of Lu, that is, August 27th, 55 BC1year. Born in the southeast of Qufu City, Shandong Province, he died in Lu Aigong on April 9th, 16th year, that is, on March 9th, 479 BC, at the age of 72.

Confucius was a native of Lu in the Spring and Autumn Period. His ancestors were Song people, originally descendants of Shang nobles. After Zhou Wuwang destroyed the Shang Dynasty, the royal family of the Shang Dynasty began in the Song Dynasty. Hundreds of years later, Confucius' sixth ancestor, Kong, was killed by Song Guohua at that time, and his descendants fled to Shandong.

Confucius was born with a depression in the middle of his head, hence the name Qiu. When I grow up, I am nine feet six inches tall, which is equivalent to about one meter nine now. Some people are surprised by Confucius' tall body and call him a "long man".

Second, learning and teaching.

Confucius was born in a poor family. Since he was a child, he went to various places to do odd jobs, met many poor working people and learned a lot of knowledge. No matter how humble the work is, Confucius tries to do things well. He used to be an official under the noble Ji of Lu, and his management statistics were accurate. He also served as a small official for raising livestock, which increased the number of livestock.

At the age of 0/7, Confucius/Kloc-Meng Nuo, a doctor of Lu, was seriously ill and dying. Before he died, he told his son Meng Yi: "Kong Qiu is a descendant of saints. He likes manners at a young age and will be an outstanding person in the future. If I die, you must learn from him. "

After Meng Nuo's death, Meng and his younger brother Nangong went to Confucius to learn etiquette. A few years later, when Confucius was in his twenties, he started a private school and began to teach students.

When Confucius was thirty years old, Qi Jinggong, the monarch of Qi, came to Lu with his doctor Yan Ying. Confucius achieved something because of his profound knowledge, so Qi Jinggong asked Confucius about national politics, and Confucius' answer made him very satisfied.

When Confucius was thirty-five years old, civil strife broke out in Lu, and Confucius fled to Qi, where he became a servant of Doctor Gao, intending to associate with him. Qi Jinggong often asked Confucius how to govern the country. He admired Confucius' talent and knowledge very much and planned to give him the fief of Nishi.

Yan Ying remonstrated with Qi Jinggong that Confucius' etiquette was too complicated to guide the people. Qi Jinggong dismissed the idea. Since then, although Qi Jinggong still received Confucius respectfully, he no longer asked him about manners.

Third, travel around the world.

Confucius' ideal is to restore the whole society to the state when the Zhou Dynasty was just established, and to revive the ritual and music system established by Duke Ji Dan of Zhou. From then on, the world was peaceful, there was no more war, and people could live and work in peace and contentment.

However, in the era of Confucius, the strength of the king of Zhou was already very weak and he could not restore his prestige. It was known at that time that dozens of vassal States, large and small, fought for land every year. Confucius also knows that his ideal may not be realized, but he still has to "know what he can't do", that is, he knows what he can't do.