Chapter IV, Confucianism, The Problem Confucius Faced, Summary and Analysis

Prior to Confucius' time, there had been a collapse of the Chou Dynasty, and rival baronies were left to their own devices. There was a considerable amount of warfare among the rivals. By the time Confucius came along, the rivalries had lost all pretense of chivalry and bloody mass slaughters often occurred. Confucius emphasized tradition and the cohesiveness of the family, reminding the people that early in their history, there had been no laws and the clans simply did what was right. Yet, at the same time, a new individualism was arising in China that held no respect for tribal traditionalism. Such was the problem faced by Confucius as he began his teaching.