Chinese Literature: Confucius Analects

Contents


The Analects of Confucius

The Analects of Confucius II

The Sayings of Mencius

The Shi-King

The Travels of Fâ-Hien

The Sorrows of Han


Confucius (aka K'ung Fu-Zi) (c. 551 BC – c. 479 BC) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher whose book, The Analects of Confucius guided Chines culture for well over a thousand years and though Confucianism has diminished dramatically, The Analects still have a tremendous influence on Chinese and East Asian thought and values today.


The Analects teach the basic Confucian values including social and ritual propriety, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety, all centered about the central thought of becoming the "proper man" or "gentleman." Interestingly, one can find the Golden Rule within its pages, though stated in the negative: Do NOT do unto others as you would NOT have them do unto you.


There are sections that are easily understandable to an individual seeking to understand the morality and philosophy of Confucius.