Confucius and The Analects
Confucius was a man who is thought to have lived around 551-479 BCE during the reign of the Zhou dynasty. He is known for his sayings in The Analects that were put together by his many students after his death (Kupperman).
Confucius was not a literary writer. Rather he was a man who coveted a government position because he desired to change the country from the top down. Unfortunately for Confucius, he never received the position he wanted, despite being respected by his community. Instead, many of his students went on to become government officials (Kupperman 59).
The Requirements for Becoming an Official
While waiting to be appointed for a position that never came, Confucius spent his time teaching other young men. He was known to be knowledgeable in The Book of Songs which were a series of traditional folk-like poems that had been passed down for centuries.
During this period in the Zhou dynasty, there was internal conflict between the Western and Eastern Zhou states. To achieve success in war and skirmishes, the ruling class of the Zhou needed advice. This advice was gleaned from the growing literary class. At first, this literary class was not a literary class at all. Because the lords in their respective prefects were becoming more and more unreliable, the princes had to use their own officials to collect taxes. When these officials were not enough, officials from the common class were promoted. These officials became “educated, professional civil-servants, appointed to their tasks on the basis of their ability and loyalty to the prince rather than on noble birth.” As time passed, the literary class appeared.
Being knowledgeable of The Book of Songs was a sign of a high-minded, cultured person. This trait was amongst one of the most valuable assets that a government candidate can have. Kupperman equates this to the modern day equivalent of being able to quote Shakespeare in order to acquire a job. (Cite)
Along with this literature, Confucius also taught a sense of responsibility and morality that he believed every person, ruler or not, should abide by.