Confucius, an early Pacifist

by Dale Phelps

16" x 20" • relief print

This print was made as a part of a series I did for Cancer Imaging with Confucius along with Einstein acting as my "inner advisors." I later discovered that Confucius, who lived 2500 years ago, was a pacifist. A quote from Dr Thomas Kang, President of the Center for Confucian Science states: "Abolishing war was the common wish of Confucius and his disciples. At the Park of the Nung, Confucius asked his disciples, Zilu, Zigong and Yan Yuan, to debate on a peaceful world. Zilu proposed a war to end all wars, while Zigong proposed diplomacy to end the calamities of the world. Confucius sided with Yan Yuan's peace plan when Yan said that he wished to have an enlightened king or a sage ruler and assist and help him to educate the people whos and music. He would cause the city walls to have no need to be repaired; the ditches and moats to have no foe to cross over them, and the swords and spears to be beaten into plowshares; horses and cattle to be released on the plains and in the moors; homes and families would not have thought of separation and bereavement; and in a thousand years there would be no misfortune of warfare and fighting." Unfortunately mankind has not followed his suggestion over the ensuing 25 centuries we continue to have the "misfortune of warfare and fighting!"