SOURCE: "K'ung Ch'iu, Founder of the Ju School," in A Short History of Confucian Philolosophy, 1955. Reprint by Hyperion Press, Inc., 1979, pp. 13-25.

In the following excerpt, Wu-chi focuses on the life and thought of Confucius and contends that Confucius's "greatness lies in his transforming the feudal code of rites and etiquette into a universal system of ethics."

Chapter One: K'ung Ch'iu, Founder of the Ju School

1. On the Greatness of Ju Philosophy—A Prelude

The Ju philosophy that has dominated Chinese thought for the last twenty-five centuries had its beginning in the teachings of K'ung Ch'iu (551-479 B.C.), commonly known as Confucius, founder of the Ju school. Because of its long, eminent tradition, Ju philosophy also exerted the greatest influence on Chinese life. It moulded the national character; it touched every corner of human activity; it permeated life in all its aspects, whether moral, political, or social...