ConfuciuswasaChinesethinkerandsocialphilosopher,whoseteachingsandphilosophyhavedeeplyinfluencedChinese,Korean,Japanese,andVietnamesethoughtandlife.

　　Hisphilosophyemphasizedpersonalandgovernmentalmorality,correctnessofsocialrelationships,justiceandsincerity.ThesevaluesgainedprominenceinChinaoverotherdoctrines,suchasLegalism(法家)orTaoism(道家)duringtheHanDynasty.Confucius'thoughtshavebeendevelopedintoasystemofphilosophyknownasConfucianism(儒家).ItwasintroducedtoEuropebytheJesuitMatteoRicci,whowasthefirsttoLatinisethenameas"Confucius."

　　HisteachingsmaybefoundintheAnalectsofConfucius(论语),acollectionof"briefaphoristicfragments",whichwascompiledmanyyearsafterhisdeath.ModernhistoriansdonotbelievethatanyspecificdocumentscanbesaidtohavebeenwrittenbyConfucius,butfornearly2,000yearshewasthoughttobetheeditororauthorofalltheFiveClassicssuchastheClassicofRites(editor),andtheSpringandAutumnAnnals(春秋).