K'ung-fu-tzu, better known as Confucius, was an ancient Chinese thinker and philosopher. His ideals were used to create the religion and philosophy known as Confucianism, which has influenced the lives of most people in China, as well as many other East Asian countries. He lived a rich and poor life, and became even more legendary after his death. Despite this, his life was still very eventful. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “the sources on Confucius' life are later and do not carefully separate fiction and reality. It is therefore wise to consider much of what is known about him legendary. While his life may have only been a legend, his mere existence still shaped the moral decisions of many, whether fictional or not. Without him, East Asian culture, and perhaps world culture, would not be the same as it is today. Much of Confucius' life was described in the Records of the Great Historian, written by Sima Qian, who was a Han dynasty court historian. He identified Confucius' ancestors as part of the Royal State of Song. Trouble was happening to Song, so his great-grandfather had to flee, going to a place called Lu, located in the southeast of Shandong. It is where his great-grandfather raised a family and where Confucius was born. He and his family were struck by poverty, now without the help of what could be considered “real.” It is implausible to start with nothing but family and conform to someone known throughout the world (Riegel). He would have really suffered at an early age if he could have fully understood what had happened. At the age of three his father died and his mother was forced to raise him alone. Twenty years ago… halfway through the document… they were indebted to Confucius, both literally and through the practice of Confucianism, so they clearly trusted him. He is also known as the founder, or at least practitioner, of the Golden Rule: "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." One word that describes this is “reciprocity,” as used by Confucius. Confucius sums up his life: “At 15 I devoted myself to learning; at 30 I firmly took my stand; at 40 I had no disappointments; at 50 I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at 60 my ear was tuned; at 70 I followed my heart's desire without exceeding the boundaries of law." He went from having little to having everything he could ask for. He experienced moments of turmoil and tranquility. While there is no doubt that most of his life is unknown, it is quite clear that Confucius' very existence influenced Chinese ideology and life in general for the better..