Name: The Analects
Author: Confucius
ISBN: 9780192839206

The Analects

Confucius

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Author Description

Few individuals have shaped their country's civilization more profoundly than the Master Kong, better-known as Confucius (551-479 BC). His sayings and those of his disciples form the foundation of a distinct social, ethical, and intellectual system. They have retained their freshness and vigor throughout the two and a half millennia of their currency, and are still admired even in today's China.This lively new translation offers clear explanatory notes by one of the foremost scholars of classical Chinese, providing an ideal introduction to the Analects for readers who have no previous knowledge of the Chinese language and philosophical traditions.

Menrva's Summary

THE THESIS

The Analects serves as the foundational text for the ethical, social, and political philosophy of Confucianism, exploring how individuals can cultivate virtue to create a harmonious society. The author, Confucius, was a Chinese philosopher whose teachings were compiled by his disciples after his death. The text presents a framework of moral conduct, filial piety, and ritual propriety that has influenced East Asian civilization for over two millennia.

THE SCOPE MAP

What You Will Find

A collection of aphorisms, dialogues, and anecdotes involving Confucius and his students.
Ethical guidelines regarding the role of the individual within the family and the state.
Explanatory notes providing historical and linguistic context for the classical Chinese source material.

Scope Limits

The text does not provide a systematic, modern philosophical treatise but rather a series of situational teachings.
It does not cover the entirety of Chinese history, focusing specifically on the moral philosophy of the Spring and Autumn period.

THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE

Scholars and students of philosophy regard this work as an essential primary source for understanding the development of Chinese intellectual history. Readers frequently note that the accessibility of this specific translation makes it a standard entry point for those unfamiliar with classical Chinese thought.

Page Count:
160

Publication Date:
2001-01-11

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

ISBN-10:
0192839209

ISBN-13:
9780192839206

Philosophy

Confucianism

Asian History

Social Theory

Classical

Ethics