A biography of the world's first academic

Confucianism is a minority conviction with only about 6 million followers. But Confucius' teachings are also a cornerstone of the Chinese belief system, which still has 379 million followers.

Confucius did not care much for the supernatural. Heaven and hell began in the here and now, while duty and obligation keep the world in balance. The emphasis is on relationships, not hierarchies. People were expected to know their place, but also to acknowledge that the higher had responsibilities towards the lower (the "Mandate of Heaven" went beyond the emperor's right to rule).

Hardly any biographical details of the Sage are certain. The Analects were assembled long after his death and classical Chinese is a terse language designed to summarise the spoken word rather than reproduce it.

Confucius was born during the time of the Zhou, roughly 40 years before the Persians attacked Greece and united the Greek city-states. He traced his roots back to the royal family of the Shang (in the Chinese tradition, noble titles fall in level with each new generation and disappear after the 5th). As the son of his father's second wife (he had one son with his first wife, but the boy could not look after himself), he grew up in genteel poverty, and grew obsessed with his reason for entering the world: performing the necessary rites for his ancestors. Music was his second pleasure. His upbringing gave him a "healthy obsession with frugality" and the recognition that knowledge is only useful if it can be practically applied.

Having grown up, Confucius found employment as a civil servant. Ritual and ceremonial existed primarily to appease distant gods, but they were also meant to educate. As an expert on religious ceremonies and songs, Confucius was a polymath. It earned him his first pupils. He also started to do ceremonies for exchanges with other kingdoms. This lands Confucius a job as teacher at the court of Lu. This also allowed him to visit the royal court in Luoyang. Here he is said to have met the court librarian Li Er, who would soon become a hermit, and known as Lao Zi.

Confucius spent some unsuccessful time in the Duchy of Qi. Equally disappointing was his return to Lu, and Confucius retired and spent 15 years as a teacher. He encouraged deduction and argument, and his classes were often boisterous. Confucious kept reading, and edited the Books of Songs, Rites, and Music. The author claims Confucius must have been about the first to lead such a life, the life of an academic.

When Zilu, a former pupil of Confucius, became prime minister, the teacher was given control of a city named Zhong-du. Confucius pushed protocols and the spread of knowledge (page 64). The earliest kings of Chinese lore had been cavemen, and only knowledge kept humanity from barbarism. Confucius' approach worked. There was no theft and "men and women kept polite distances from each other". Confucius was promoted to assistant minister for public works. A diplomatic success led to promotion as justice minister, a position he kept for two years. Confucius tried to force the 3 feuding families of the Lu to give up their fortifications and create greater unity under the Duke. This alarms Li, that sent 60 ponies and 80 dancing girls. The girls caused the Duke of Lu to cancel the performance of the rites, after which Confucius resigned.

The Sage now wandered from kingdom to kingdom, poor and at one time even starving. Part of the time Confucius spent in reclusion. Nearing 70, Confucius started a compilation of the history of Lu, The Spring and Autumn Annals, impugning unsuitable government and praising overlooked ministers. He would not get an official post anymore. Through time Confucius teachings were reduced to the 8 virtues benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, fidelity, loyalty, filial piety and service to the elders.

The world's earliest academic comes out as a bit of a pedantic outsider in Jonathan Clements short but entertaining account. ( )