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Confucius Facts & Worksheets

Confucius is China’s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist whose ideas have influenced the civilization of East Asia.

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Confucius was one of the most popular ancient Chinese philosophers due to his great influence on the civilizations of China and East Asia. His principles and teachings became known as Confucianism, an ancient Chinese philosophical system. The philosophy encouraged the ancient Chinese government to employ educated people rather than nobles.

See the fact file below for more information on Confucius, or you can download our 22-page Confucius worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Confucius

  • In some ancient records, his height was recorded as nine and a half feet.
  • He came from an aristocratic family that fell into crisis because he used to work low-grade jobs during his youth.
  • He became interested in learning when he was 15 years old.
  • He believed that education and reflection drive virtue and that before commanding others, people must first practice discipline and morals in themselves.

Early Life

  • On September 28, 551 BCE, in Zou, Shandong province, he was born into a class between the aristocracy and the common people. Kong He, his father, a senior commandant in the local Lu garrison, died when he was three years old. When his father died, his mother, Yan Zhengzai, raised him alone.
  • When he was nineteen years old, he married Lady Qiguan, from whom he had a son and two daughters, of which one died as a child.
  • He studied the Six Arts, which served as an ancient Chinese culture education foundation in commoner schools.
  • He worked in different government jobs in his early twenties. He also earned a living as a bookkeeper and caretaker of farm animals.

Political Career

  • He was able to establish a name for himself through his teachings. He influenced the families to practice proper behavior and righteousness to be loyal to the government.
  • In 501 BCE, he was appointed to a minor position in the local government of the town of Lu. After some time, he rose to be the Minister of Crime.
  • He desired to restore the duke’s authority over the state to establish a centralized government. He lacked sufficient power because he lacked military authority.
  • The governor of Hou revolted against the Shu family in 500 BCE. The situation favored him because it allowed him and his disciples to persuade the city’s aristocratic families to demolish the city fortifications.
  • Gongshan Furao, a Ji family retainer, invited him to join the revolt against Bi. He opposed using violence, so he did not join the revolt.
  • He arranged for the Ji family to appoint one of his disciples, Zhong You, as governor. When he heard about the raid, he asked Viscount Ji Huan to let the duke and his court retreat to a stronghold on his palace grounds. He also directed two officers to lead an assault on the rebels.
  • The Ji family destroyed the Bi city walls when the revolt was over.
  • His actions sparked a revolt among the Bi officials against their lord.
  • The incident highlighted his foresight, practical political ability, and understanding of human nature.
  • He could not implement his idealistic reforms, mainly restoring the duke’s legitimate rule.
  • In 497 BCE, he returned to his homeland as a self-exile without resigning from his position in Lu.

Later Life

  • When he returned to his homeland, he advised several government officials on governance and crime issues.
  • He died at 71, exhausted by the grief of losing his children and favorite disciples. He was buried in a cemetery located in Shandong Province.

Confucianism

  • His philosophy became the foundation of Chinese culture.
  • Ancestor worship and human-centered virtues were thought to be the keys to a peaceful life.
  • Its golden rule says, “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”
  • Some argue that Confucianism is a religion, but it is widely regarded as an ethical guide to living a life of the character. He was worshipped as a spirit rather than a god, and temples were built to house important community and civic rituals.
  • The central concept was the importance of having a good moral character because it would affect those around that person as a result of the so-called cosmic harmony. Ren, the virtue of humanity, can be used to develop moral character. It promotes more virtuous behaviors such as respect, altruism, and humility.
  • He believed that education was crucial in shaping a person’s character.
  • Its rituals represent a respectful attitude that fosters a sense of community among members of a group.
  • The concept was based on devotion to family or submission to parental authority to strengthen the society around it. The family was regarded as the most important group in Confucian ethics.
  • He discussed many important concepts out of concern for the preservation of traditional Chinese knowledge from earlier thinkers.
  • His disciples, such as Mencius and Xunzi, collected and taught his wisdom after his death.

Five Principles

  • His teachings contain no mention of God and revolve around five principles: Jen, Li, Xin, Chung, and Yi.
    • Jen was concerned with the nature of humans as well as benevolence.
    • Li was concerned with the principles of decency and propriety.
    • Xin was all about being faithful and honest to gain admiration.
    • Chung was about the loyalty of the country’s rulers and citizens.
    • Yi was about righteousness, being able to tell the difference between what is right and wrong.
  • These beliefs are shared not only by China but also by Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Disciples

  • Since he began teaching at the age of 30, he has taught over 3000 students. The majority of them were from Lu, and about 70 of them became well-known.
  • He only accepted a symbolic gift from his students in the form of bundled dried meat rather than a tuition fee.
  • His disciples and the community that they established had a significant impact on the intellectual force during the Warring States period.
  • According to Zigong, one of his disciples, he treated his students similar to how doctors treat patients and accepted anyone interested. He paid no attention to his students’ backgrounds, teaching noblemen, commoners, and former criminals, particularly Zhouju and Gongye Chang.
  • Yan Hui, his most favored disciple, was described as impoverished.
  • His disciples learned about the principles and methods of government through his teachings.

Descendants

  • The imperial government repeatedly honored his descendants. They were honored as marquis 35 times during the Han dynasty and dukes 42 times between the Tang and Qing dynasties.
  • His descendants were around 30,000 in Quzhou alone.
  • The title Duke Yansheng, which means “honorable overflowing with wisdom,” was abolished by the Nationalist government in 1935; the last Confucian descendant to hold the title was Kung Teaching of the 77th generation.
  • Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo-Jin, both Korean actors, were among his descendants traced to the 79th and 81st generations, respectively.

Confucius Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Teachings of Confucius across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Confucius worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Confucius, which is China’s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist whose ideas have influenced the civilization of East Asia.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

  • The Analects
  • The Kongzi Jiayu and Other Literature
  • Of Life and Love
  • On Knowledge and Education
  • On Leadership
  • About Justice
  • Human Relations
  • Family Life
  • Expectations
  • Sharing is Caring

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Confucius best known for?

Confucius was one of the most popular ancient Chinese philosophers due to his great influence on the civilizations of China and East Asia.

What is the main philosophy of Confucius?

Ancestor worship and human-centered virtues were thought to be the keys to a peaceful life. Its golden rule says, “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”

What are the five beliefs of Confucianism?

His teachings contain no mention of God and revolve around five principles: Jen, Li, Xin, Chung, and Yi.

Is Confucianism a religion?

Some argue that Confucianism is a religion, but it is widely regarded as an ethical guide to living a life of the character.

Does Confucianism believe in God?

He was worshipped as a spirit rather than a god, and temples were built to house important community and civic rituals.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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