Confucianism takes its name from the Latinized form of K’ung Fu-tzu, who lived in China in the 5th century BCE. Following the Way of Heaven of even more ancient sages of China, Confucius taught that a good society could be created through love for our fellow human beings, devotion to parents and elders, and study of the proper forms of life. His teachings and that of his followers became the central philosophy of traditional China.