Confucius is one of the most famous of the ancient Chinese philosophers. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BC. He believed that Chinese culture had peaked during the height of the Zhou dynasty. During their reign, the Zhou rulers adhered to a set of practices referred to as the "li", also called rites or rituals. These rites governed all aspects of Chinese culture. The rites told everything, from the way huge political ceremonies should be conducted, to what is the proper way to respond to the receiving of a gift.
During Confucius' life, the role of the Zhou kings was reduced to mere figureheads and many of the rites had been lost, forgotten, or reduced to a lesser role. Confucius decided that he was to revive the practice of the rites and show others back to the way of the "dao", or the "way of heaven". In an effort to accomplish this, Confucius would not only strive to strictly follow the rites himself, he would dedicate his life to teaching and spreading them to others......
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