Ancient China · Philosopher

Confucius 孔子

Kongzi

Attested BC 551 - BC 479

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Confucius was a Philosopher.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zhongni	仲尼

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 551 to BC 479 孔子錯其象
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 99, passages 138, 149

Works and attributed material

Spring and Autumn 春秋
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Han 99, passage 149

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 5 passages

是以宓犧氏之作《易》也，綿絡天地，經以八卦，文王附六爻，孔子錯其象而彖其辭，然後發天地之臧，定萬物之基。 So Fuxi’s 《Changes》 laced heaven and earth, the eight trigrams forming its warp; King Wen added the six lines; Confucius aligned the images and wrote the judgments—only then could the hidden stores of nature be opened and the basis of the ten thousand things fixed.

孔子作《春秋》，幾君子之前睹也。 Confucius wrote the 《Spring and Autumn》 for the few who could already see what was coming.

降周迄孔，成於王道，終後誕章乖離，諸子圖微。 From the fall of Zhou to Confucius the kingly way was perfected; later ages splintered into wild doctrines as each school chased its own subtle teaching.

仲尼以來，國君、將相、卿士、名臣參差不齊，一概諸聖。 Since Confucius, rulers, generals, ministers, and famous officers have risen uneven heights—here they are judged by one sage standard.

仲尼之後，訖於漢道，德行顏、閔、股肱蕭、曹，□及名將尊卑之條，稱述品藻。 From Confucius down to Han times—Yan Hui and Min Ziqian for virtue, Xiao He and Cao Shen as arms of state, and the ranking of celebrated generals—each is weighed and characterized.