Confucius Portrait of Confucius from the Yuan dynasty (early 13th century–1368) album Half Portraits of the Great Sage and Virtuous Men of Old, ink and color on silk, anonymous artist. National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. (more) List of Chinese Philosophers Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/List-of-Chinese-Philosophers Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/List-of-Chinese-Philosophers Written by Ethan Teekah Ethan Teekah is an Assistant Editor for Encyclopædia Britannica. He covers topics primarily related to Asia and Asian Studies. Ethan Teekah Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 13, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Yanyu and Chengyu Yanyu (“proverbs”) and chengyu (“idioms”) are an important part of Chinese culture and have helped to transmit Chinese philosophy through the ages. Chinese people regularly quote Chinese philosophers in daily conversation. Chinese philosophy is one of the world’s most ancient philosophical traditions. Unlike Western philosophy and Indian philosophy, Chinese thought places relatively little emphasis on metaphysical questions and focuses mainly on human society and the maintenance of social order. This is illustrated by an excerpt from the Analects of Confucius. When a student asks about the afterlife, Confucius responds, “We do not yet understand life; how can ...(100 of 2198 words)

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