The great Chinese philosopher Confucius (550-479 B.C.E.), whose teachings have had a deep and long-lasting influence on East Asian culture, is credited with writing and editing the "Five Classics"; five works or books which outlined his philosophies on morality, relationships, sincerity, and justice. The works include The Book of Changes, The Book of History, The Book of Poetry, The Book of Rituals and The Spring and Autumn Annals, and helped define the values of Chinese thought and life, particularly during the powerful Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E-220 A.D.), and for the roughly 2,000 years since. Confucianism was introduced to Western culture by a Jesuit priest named Matteo Ricci in 1687 and the difficult process of translating the texts from Chinese into Western languages continues to this day.
There is, however, some doubt whether or not Confucius actually wrote these works, in fact, most modern historians now hold forth that none of his original documents survived the 275 years of tumultuous changes in Chinese bureaucracy before the rise of the Han Dynasty, the first true Chinese Empire. Most of what is now considered to be Confucian Thought (or Confucianism) was re-constructed from surviving texts by Han scholars and pieced together to form its present shape. Furthermore, Confucius wrote or edited six "Classics"; the sixth, The Book of Music, was never recovered. This is an odd reality, considering the importance Confucius himself placed on the value of music. The Spring and Autumn Annals contain numerous references to the importance of music. In the scheme of Confucian thought, humanity, ritual, good government and music were all a part of the fabric of a harmonious universe.
Confucius was born in the city of Qufu, modern-day Shandong Province, to a low-ranking family that had come upon hard times. He was said to have worked as a book-keeper, clerk, and shepard, eventually rising to the position of Justice Minister in the state of Lu. After a...