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Hello,
To actually know why Confucius teach his way of life, you have to know the historical background. He was in a time when the ruler of Zhou Dynasty does not have power anymore. Most of the warlords rule over their lands without considering the authority of the Zhou Emperor. Even in the State of Lu, where Confucius hometown is, the warlord is weak as well, with three powerful families ruling the State of Lu.
These 'disorder' irks Confucius. He strongly believe that the society should have a certain order. The ruler should behave like a ruler and his officials should behave like officials, paying obeisance to the ruler. It should not be the ruler behave like an official and an official behave like a ruler.
That is why in the Analects of Confucius, you can see that Confucius always advocate filial piety, loyalty to the State & your master. Of course, there are other sayings on learning and how Confucius treat his disciples.
I have gained tremendously from reading Analects of Confucius. So much so I have set up my own website to share his teaching with other people that does not know the Chinese Language.
Most of the translations you see are translated by people who are not immersed in Chinese Culture enough to capture the essence of the verses and worse some of the translation,does not make sense at all. So I intend to rectify that since I am a Chinese and receive an English Education. Hope my site will help you understand Confucius better.
Cheers!
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What prompted confucius to teach his way of life?(confucianism)?
