The Philosophy of Confucius

Abstract

If any single person has exerted more influence on the entire Chinese philosophical tradition than anyone else, it must be Kong Fuzi, better known in the West by the Latinized term, Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.). While “Kong” is his family name, “Fuzi,” close in meaning to “master,” is a respectful way of addressing the man. His given name, Qiu, is rarely applied in references to him.