The Four Sages, Assessors,
[ Legge, James. ]
The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning, & the Doctrine of the Mean
'. 1893. or Correlates () are four eminent
Chinese philosophers in the
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
tradition. They are traditionally accorded a kind of sainthood and their
spirit tablets are prominently placed in
Confucian temples, two upon the east and two upon the west side of the Hall of the Great Completion (''Dacheng Dian'').
The Four Sages are:
*
Yan Hui
Yan Hui (–481 BC) was a Chinese philosopher. He was the favorite disciple of Confucius and one of the most revered figures of Confucianism. He is venerated in Confucian temples as one of the Four Sages.
Names
Yan Hui is also known by his ...
(521–481 BC), Confucius's favourite
disciple, one of the main characters in
Analects
*
Zengzi
Zeng Shen (505–435 BC), better known as Zengzi (Master Zeng), courtesy name Ziyu (), was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius. He later taught Zisi (Kong Ji), the grandson of Confucius, who was in turn the teacher of Mencius, thus ...
or Zeng Shen (505–435 BC), another disciple of Confucius and author of the ''
Great Learning
The ''Great Learning'' or ''Daxue'' was one of the " Four Books" in Confucianism attributed to one of Confucius' disciples, Zengzi. The ''Great Learning'' had come from a chapter in the '' Book of Rites'' which formed one of the Five Classic ...
''
*
Zisi or Kong Ji (481–402 BCE), Confucius's grandson, student of Zengzi, and author of the ''
Doctrine of the Mean''
*
Mencius
Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius' fourth generation of disciple ...
or Master Meng (372–289 BC), student of Zisi and author of the ''
Mencius
Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius' fourth generation of disciple ...
.''
Within a traditional Confucian temple, Yan Hui's tablet is placed first to the east of Confucius.
The families of the descendants of the Four Sages
四氏 still hold hereditary offices in the Republic of China (Taiwan) such as the
Sacrificial Official to Confucius
The Duke Yansheng, literally "Honorable Overflowing with Wisdom", sometimes translated as Holy Duke of Yen, was a Chinese title of nobility. It was originally created as a marquis title in the Western Han dynasty for a direct descendant ...
, "Sacrificial Official to
Mencius
Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius' fourth generation of disciple ...
", "Sacrificial Official to
Zengzi
Zeng Shen (505–435 BC), better known as Zengzi (Master Zeng), courtesy name Ziyu (), was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius. He later taught Zisi (Kong Ji), the grandson of Confucius, who was in turn the teacher of Mencius, thus ...
", and "Sacrificial Official to
Yan Hui
Yan Hui (–481 BC) was a Chinese philosopher. He was the favorite disciple of Confucius and one of the most revered figures of Confucianism. He is venerated in Confucian temples as one of the Four Sages.
Names
Yan Hui is also known by his ...
". They use
generation poems for their names given to them by the Ming and Qing Emperors.
孟姓 (The Meng family, descendants of Mencius)
:希言公彥承，宏聞貞尚衍；
:興毓傳繼廣，昭憲慶繁祥；
:令德維垂佑，欽紹念顯揚；
:建道敦安定，懋修肇彝常；
:裕文煥景瑞，永錫世緒昌。
See also
* Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
* Disciples of Confucius
* Twelve Philosophers
* Kong Family Mansion
The Kong Family Mansion () was the historical residence of the direct descendants of Confucius in the City of Qufu, the hometown of Confucius in Shandong Province, China. The extant structures mainly date from the Ming and Qing dynasties. From the ...
* Temple of Confucius, Qufu
* Cemetery of Confucius
* Temple of Zengzi
Zeng Shen (505–435 BC), better known as Zengzi (Master Zeng), courtesy name Ziyu (), was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius. He later taught Zisi (Kong Ji), the grandson of Confucius, who was in turn the teacher of Mencius, thus ...
曾廟
* Mencius
Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius' fourth generation of disciple ...
's sites- Meng family mansion 孟府, Temple of Mencius 孟廟, and Cemetery of Mencius 孟林.
* Temple of Yan Hui
* Zhu Xi (朱熹) (October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), was a Chinese Confucian scholar philosopher and government official of Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
China, who was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in ...
Sources
Ancient Chinese philosophers
Chinese Confucianists
{{China-philosopher-stub