[Revised entry by Mark Csikszentmihalyi on May 2, 2024.
Changes to: Main text, Bibliography]
At different times in Chinese history, Confucius (trad. 551 – 479 BCE) has been portrayed as a teacher, advisor, editor, philosopher, reformer, and prophet. The name Confucius, a Latinized combination of the surname Kong 孔 with an honorific suffix “Master” (fuzi 夫子), has also come to be used as a global metonym for different aspects of traditional East Asian society. This association of Confucius with many of the foundational concepts and cultural practices in East Asia, and his…

Originally appeared on Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Read More