View on Humans in Philosophy of Confucius

Abstract

The thought on humans in the philosophy of Confucius was formed and developed during a period which is a turning point in ancient Chinese history. The comprehensive transformation of the country of China at that time caused chaos in the society. Facing such a situation, thinkers were vying with one another to find ways to stabilise the society. Despite their different class positions, the thinkers shared one thing in common, which was that they all began with explaining the nature of human. Though still including certain limitations caused by the impacts of the contemporary historical context, the views on humans in Confucius' philosophy basically met the social needs at that time and still bear values which remain intact today.