History 8
Unit II: Confucianism
Directions: Read the following and then answer the questions.
The period between 722 and 481 BCE is known in Chinese history as Ch’un Ch’iu (SpringAutumn period), a time of chaos and conflict among noble families who sought ascendancy as
the once-powerful Zhou Dynasty began to collapse. Unfortunately, the period following, from
480 to 222 BCE, was equally chaotic and is, therefore, referred to as the period of the Warring
States in which there was a total political breakdown.
Given what you know about traditional Chinese society and values, how might the people
living during this time period have explained this Time of Troubles?
Confucius (or K’ung Fu-tzu) was born around 552 BCE in the village of Lu located in Shandong
province in southeastern China. It is believed that he was born to a lesser noble family and that
his father was a soldier. Despite the family’s poverty, Confucius was well educated and
eventually he became a minor official in Lu. He worked his way up the political ladder and at
the age of fifty Duke Ding appointed him Minister of Public Works and then Minister of Crime.
Given Confucius’ background, how would he feel about the chaos surrounding him during
his early years?
While serving as a government official, Confucius developed a political and social theory that he
felt would solve the problems of his society.
Identify the main principles of Confucius’ philosophy.
Political Philosophy:
Social Philosophy:
Apparently, Duke Ding didn’t like Confucius’ philosophy because he fired Confucius.
Confucius became an itinerant teacher, gaining many disciples and further developing his ideas
into a formal system called Confucianism.
Do you think Confucius’ ideas could have solved the problems facing China during the
period of the Warring States if they had been implemented appropriately? Why or why
not?