3-Confucius 孔子

3. Confucius and Chinese Philosophy

Born in 551 BC, Confucius, Kong Zi, has made the greatest contribution to the Chinese culture of anyone in history. Although he was raised in a poor family, he visited famous scholars and learned a lot. He developed his thoughts into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism. Confucianism emphasized self-cultivation, harmonious relationships with each other, andrespect for the elderly.

Friends should be honest to each other. Rulers should make an effort to provide a happy life forpeople. He was a great teacher as well and promoted education for ordinary people. He traveledaround to promote his political thinking but failed. But he never gave up. Kong Zi is a greatChinese spiritual leader. Over the last 2,000 years, his philosophy has continued to influenceChina and the rest of the world. It is also regarded as the symbol of oriental culture.

孔子出生于公元前 551 年，是历史上对中华文化影响最大的人。他出生贫寒，为了求学遍访名师。后来，他创立了儒家思想。儒家思想注重人的自我修养，强调与人建立和谐的关系，对待长辈要尊敬有礼，与朋友交往要诚实守信。统治者应该致力于让人民生活幸福。孔子还是一位伟大的老师，他倡导“有教无类”，每个人都有受教育的权利。孔子周游列国推行他的政治思想，但未能成功，可是他从不放弃。孔子，是华夏民族精神上的引领者。2000 多年来，孔子的思想影响着中国乃至世界，成为东方文化的一种象征。