Bunkum is defined by dictionary.com as insincere political speechmaking designed to appeal to local constituents. The word was coined in America in the 1820s when a congressman from Buncombe county North Carolina gave a dull speech to congress. Some time after, bunkum was simply shortened to “bunk” and is currently still in use; although it is slightly uncommonly.
Confucius was born to impoverished parents 551BC in the Shandong province, south east of Beijing, of China according to a Stanford research site on the Chinese philosopher. However, these are really the only things known about his earlier life. It is hard to separate life from legend with Confucius, mainly due to the sources for his early life coming from farther along in the future. Sources such as his disciples the number of whom is unknown.The reason Confucius should be known is because of the effect his philosophy has had on Chinese society, which has made it more tight-knit. While not the only factor impacting societal structure in China, Confucius’s ideals inside of society stressed the downplay of the needs of the single individual. Instead one should reconcile one’s needs with those of the ordered society.This is what Confucius’s philosophy strived to achieve. An ordered society would be achieved by sincerity. People would not just do the rituals required by beliefs, but they would believe them. People would be sincere to each other, and do unto others as they would have done unto them. Also Confucius believed that people should show deference to their superiors and then those people would be admired for the way they do it.This philosophy also extended into politics with Confucius advocating that “ministers be ministers” meaning that people engaging in politics should only take on a job that they can do, and will devote themselves to. Confucius believed that rulers should have a kind of virtue that would allow the ruler to maintain rule without resorting to force, worrying about order to much, and hiring “good and loyal deputies”.Confucius died in 479 BC, but his teaching obviously lived on through his disciples, a lot like Jesus except he never acquired the same status. In essence Confucius’s teachings were a very interesting combination of old and new. He advocated doing the old things but with sincerity, which he believed was gone from around his time. He didn’t really care what rituals people did or what music people performed but mainly that they believed in what they were doing.