An haifi Confucius ne a shekarar 551 kafin haihuwar Annabi Isa A.S., kuma ya rasu a shekarar 479 kafin haihuwar Annabi Isa A.S. A lokacin da shekarunsa ya kai uku da haihuwa, sai mahaifinsa ya mutu, sa'an nan, mahaifiyarsa ta dauke shi zuwa lardin Shandong da ke gabashin kasar Sin.

A duk tsawon rayuwarsa, Confucius bai taba yin jami'i ba, amma shi shehun malami ne da ke da sani sosai. A zamanin gargajiyar kasar Sin, ilmi sai masu sarauta ne ke iya samu, amma Confucius ya karya irin wannan ikon musamman na masu sarauta. Yana daukar almajirai yana ba su ilmi, mutane kome matsayinsu, na iya zuwa wurinsa don samun ilmi. Confucius ya koyar wa almajiransa tunaninsa dangane da siyasa da kuma da'a, an ce, gaba daya ya dauki dalibai 3000, kuma da dama daga cikinsu sun zama shehunan malamai irinsa, har ma sun kara bunkasa da kuma yada tunanin Confucius.