Confucius 4

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a growing class of impoverished descendants of aristocrats who made their careers by acquiring knowledge of feudal ritual and taking positions of influence serving the rulers of the many separate states of ancient China. Confucius devoted himself to learning. At the age of 30, however, when his short-lived official career floundered, he turned to teaching others. Confucius himself never wrote down his own philosophy, although tradition credits him with editing some of the historical classics that were used as texts in his school. He apparently made an enormous impact on the lives and attitudes of his disciples.
Confucianism combines a political theory and a theory of human nature to yield "dao," a prescriptive doctrine or way. The political theory starts with a Doctrine of political authority from heaven's command: the ruler bears responsibility for the well being of the people and therefore for peace and order in the empire.
Confucianism emerged as a more coherent philosophy ...

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