·Qufu
Born in Qufu
Born in Qufu, in the state of Lu. His father was an elderly soldier. The family was poor but claimed descent from Shang dynasty nobility. He grew up knowing both hardship and old ritual.
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Confucius was born into a minor noble family in the state of Lu. He served briefly in government, then spent fourteen years traveling from court to court, offering his vision of ethical rule to any king who would listen. None did. He returned home and spent his last years teaching. His students recorded his conversations as the Analerta. He taught that society depends on five relationships, each governed by mutual respect: ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, elder and younger sibling, friend and friend. Goodness is not inborn but cultivated through ritual, study, and honest self-examination.
