Confucius was born in the middle of the 6th century bce into a poor shi family. Like many others, Confucius's father had lost his place at the local court, and the family had fallen on hard times. As a consequence, young Confucius had to take jobs, such as accounting, that were considered demeaning for a young man of his education and abilities. He was apparently an outspoken and opinionated individual who had talent for putting people off by the brutally frank expression of his views. He had hoped for a high post in the state of Lu, near present-day Shandung Peninsula, had having passed over, he took to the road in search of the ideal ruler.
He never found his ideal and thus spent most of his life traveling from one kingdom to another. But during his travels he met many leaders and local shi, supported himself by teaching, and earned a growing reputation for his learning and wisdom. Soon Confucius had attracted a considerable following. Some traveled with him as loyal disciples; others promoted his ideas at the courts of local rulers and compiled his sayings in what would come to be known as the ANLECTS, meaning "the collected sayings"- thus, "Confucius says".
Confucius developed ethical principles and a view of the proper ordering of society that would shape Chinese civilization for the next 2000 years. He was not religious teacher like Jewish prophets or the Buddha but rather a social philosopher. Ancestral veneration played a role, but his thinking was focused on the earthly realm and the proper way to arrange social relationships and achieve good government. He was obsessed with the need for order and harmony. He believed that they could come about only if Chinese rulers relied on the advice of wise and educated men, who in Confucius's view could be recruited only from among the shi.
Confucius was convinced that a small minority of superior men were destined by their talents and sense of duty to govern and set an example for the common people.
