Confucius
(c. 551–c. 479 B.C.)

Although the ancestors of Confucius were members of the wealthy aristocracy, his parents were poor commoners by the time Confucius was born. To add to the challenges of young Confucius's life, his father died when Confucius was only three years old. Confucius was educated as a child by his mother. He proved to be a devoted learner by his teens. When he was 19, Confucius got married. He and his wife had three children.

As a young man, he worked for the governor of his district, and when he was 22, he opened a school. Confucius mastered the "six arts"—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic. This mastery and knowledge led him to a profound teaching career. It is believed that he had 3,000 followers and 72 of his students mastered the "six arts."

Confucius is known for his desire to make education available to all men. He devoted his life to learning and teaching, and he believed in the power of education to improve a society and build an individual's character. Confucius was involved in politics for decades. Through political work, he hoped to put his humanist ideas into practice.

When he was in his fifties, Confucius went into voluntary exile and left his country for almost 12 years. During this time, a growing circle of students accompanied him in his travels. He returned to his native state of Lu in his late sixties to teach, write, and edit. He died a few years later, in his early seventies.

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