The Philosopher Confucius Is Partly a Modern Portrait
The Confucius who appears as a philosopher is partly the product of modern cross-cultural interactions, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
In imperial China, he was identified with interpretations of the classics and with moral guidelines for administrators, and therefore with training the scholar-officials who populated the bureaucracy. He was also closely associated with the transmission of the ancient sacrificial system, and he himself received ritual offerings in temples found in all major cities.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
The ritual offerings are the strangest part: he was associated with transmitting the ancient sacrificial system and received offerings in temples in major cities.
Fair, but the modern philosopher is not the only lens that matters. The imperial Confucius was bound up with classical interpretation and the training of officials.