Confucius

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Confucius

• AP World History

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• Born to an unwed teenage mother
• Life was a trail of tears
• Abandons his own wife and kids to help change
  China
• Dies believing he has failed
• Time of chaos in China, feudal nature

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• He was the son of one of Chinas fiercest
  warriors
• 2 wives 9 daughters and 1 crippled son
  financial impact
• Took a 16 year old concubine
• Baby was huge and ugly big nose, forehead
  bulged, head was dented
• Legend changes birth to divine circumstances
• His father dies 3 years after his birth
• Mom and son rejected must leave village

4

• Christian missionaries gave him the name
  Confucius, he never heard the name
• Confucius had to work to help make living
• Had strong drive to learn, very curious
• Hardship taught lessons
• Noble deeds, not noble birth
• Family love is greater than gold

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• Illegitimate, impoverished orphan no family
  money and no connections
• Tradition says he was 96 probably 6
• Genius vs. brute strength
• Got job overseeing granary grain money
• He marries and starts family
• He spends most of his time in library, looking
  through Chinas past for key to Chinas future

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• Education leads to disappearance to class
  distinction
• The quality of a person
• Wanted to find justice and truth
• Gets political positions but not the
  positions that he wants but he still tries
• Not just judge case but conditions that allowed
  the case to happen
• Old friend/ally gives him position others
  distract him with women
• Reformers were feared!

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• Oppressive government worse than man-eating tiger
• Leaders should model to people
• He usually found resentment and hostility
• His students were his true family
• Favorite disciple dies before Confucius says
  Heaven turned against him
• Contentment and love of learning keys
• Dies at 73
• Will no ruler come forward and take me as his
  master