The Analects

Jul 29, 2010 Eric Kibler rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Disappointing.

You know in all those Charlie Chan movies, where Charlie Chan would say, "Confucius say..." and follow with something brilliant? Well, Confucius never said all that shit.

Basically, he said, "Love learning, mourn your parents for three years, know the Odes, appreciate music, observe the proper rituals, honor what has come before, observe propriety, love doing a good job over getting a good salary, and love virtue more than beauty."

I mean, that's it. I summarized it for you.

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Dec 17, 2008 Stevie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-owned, secular, philiosophy-rhetoric, great-books

Confucius has a lot of wisdom. Anyone who is serious about living life well would do well to read the Analects.

Poignant Quotes:

If you try to guide the common people with coercive regulations and keep them in line with punishments, the common people will become evasive and will have no sense of shame. If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep them in line by means of ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will rectify themselves.

Give your parents no cause for anxiety other than...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Bob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The commentaries and translation of the book by Huang Chichung deserves five stars. However, the content of Confucius' thoughts deserve another mixed review.

On one hand, this is the person whose thoughts shaped the culture of almost all of East Asia and in some subtle manners influenced South-east Asian societies for hundreds and even thousands of years. However, many parts of the book contains him judging this and that person to be of this or that worth. Such content can really grate through o...more The commentaries and translation of the book by Huang Chichung deserves five stars. However, the content of Confucius' thoughts deserve another mixed review.

On one hand, this is the person whose thoughts shaped the culture of almost all of East Asia and in some subtle manners influenced South-east Asian societies for hundreds and even thousands of years. However, many parts of the book contains him judging this and that person to be of this or that worth. Such content can really grate through one's grains and make readers feel as if Confucius was perhaps a tad narcissistic with a dash of grandiosity. But, hey, what are we doing here? Aren't we also judging this and that book and by proxy perhaps we're also judging the quality of mind of this and that author and source? So, on a more positive note, perhaps readers should take these things as a way for Confucius' direct students to peer through Confucius' mind and philosophy.

While there are some nuggets of wisdom, I'm not really sure why any culture want to promote the judgmental evaluation of others. Besides, Confucius doesn't actually say elaborate details of his thoughts. The whole book contains only chunks and much random comments that doesn't seem relevant to most people today. But, perhaps can this lack of details due to the fact that not much record survive today? Perhaps Confucius teaches his students primarily through rote learning of phrases that contains a lot of nuances?

Perhaps we need to understand and see this mindset through the eyes of history, in which India, around the same time was steeped in the caste system. Also, Europe and many other parts of the world later on would think of certain people as deserving high or low status in society, which essentially still exist in some manners in our current world. (For example, you wouldn't want a trash talking, emotionally volatile, ignorant person to be your country's president, would you?) So, in a modern context, we can perhaps learn some aspects about etiquette and mannerism from the Confucian school. Let's think of this book as a sort of the way to be a "Renaissance Man/Woman" as well as a good material to cross-check against any other school and path of thoughts. (less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 08, 2012 Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In a class taught by General George S. Patton, IV at the George Washington University in the early 80's, reflecting on his experience in Vietnam, he summarized the failure of US policy in SE Asia as a failure to understand the history and culture of the region.

Years later as I prepared to deploy to Afghanistan it struck me that much of our formal education in my lifetime focused on European and Western philosophers and histories, only perpetuating the vicious cycle which the son of the famous Wo...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Karl H. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Where to begin talking about Confucius? It is fascinating to read a philosophy that is so different than that of the Greeks. It is different, not only in form, but in its very essence than the early Western philosophy and culture that permeates American and European thought. When we talk about the “central value” of any philosophical system, we are necessarily engaging in a gross simplification. Plato valued truth, Socrates valued happiness, Jesus valued love, and Confucius values fidelity. But...more Where to begin talking about Confucius? It is fascinating to read a philosophy that is so different than that of the Greeks. It is different, not only in form, but in its very essence than the early Western philosophy and culture that permeates American and European thought. When we talk about the “central value” of any philosophical system, we are necessarily engaging in a gross simplification. Plato valued truth, Socrates valued happiness, Jesus valued love, and Confucius values fidelity. But what is not clear from this gross simplification is how the impact of those central values plays out on thought.

The Analects are much more individual and much less structural than Socrates or Plato. Socrates and Plato seem concerned with the internal structures of values. What is truth? What is beauty? What is goodness? We have a word, and we explore the meaning of that word through intense questioning and logic. When we read Socrates through Plato, we are reading a dialectic. Questions are raised and answered. We hear one side and then the other. It seems as though we are sitting in on a conversation. We have clearly stated premises, and we derive from those premises until we finally reach a conclusion. Examples are used to test the validity of that logic, but in some sense they are extraneous. In some sense the conclusions are completely superfluous to the process- it is the process of logical reasoning that matters. Plato’s ideal society is constructed brick by brick, every decision made on an overarching top-down logical model.

Not so with the Analects. The Analects are more individual, more relative, and less explicit in nature. This is evident in the very structure of the Analects. The vast majority of these “chapters” are one or two sentences quoted from the Master. They are aphorisms stripped of conversational context- they are not part of an explicit larger reasoning conversation. What is the method here? Confucius has a system of values, yes, but to get to the heart of those values, we have to look to others for examples. These values are not derived within oneself- at least not at first. They are copied from tradition. By existing in harmony with that tradition, we come to gain implicit and reliable knowledge. (Incidentally, Confucius prefers people whose goodness is innate rather than learned, but this sort of internalized goodness is not the result of a process of logic; it is simply one's natural temperament.) The connection with others is therefore in some sense the most important part of this system. So in this context, it makes sense that Confucius spends a great deal of time rendering verdicts on people. Who was humane? Who was fond of learning? Who was a gentleman? In order for us to understand humaneness we need to talk about concrete examples of behavior and of people, not of logical categories. These terms achieve meaning in relationship to the past and to examples of behavior. They are also relative to the listener. There is a great passage where Confucius gives two definitions of the same word to two different students. When a third student asks him which definition is correct, Confucius says that one student was too forward, and the other too backward, so he gave each the definition they needed.

Confucius’ vision of society is also based on the individual fulfilling their responsibilities. If a leader takes care of his own responsibilities, Confucius feels that the rest of society will act in accordance. And if a people act ethically regardless of if they are rewarded, then rewards will come to them. One has to focus on one’s own duties, and not being concerned with how others behave. This can be a good thing, but it can also mean looking the other way. Take for example, a passage where a virtuous young man informs on his father for stealing. Confucius disapproves of those actions as an example of non-filial behavior. This value system seems to view some level of deception or covering up for the sake of others as a moral imperative.

Startling results like these conspire with other factors to make the Analects seem cryptic to the Western reader. There is a tendency to make pointed questions, to allude to ones points through allegory, to reference other texts or cultural norms which the Western reader will not be familiar. To which I would say- persist, and make sure to have good footnotes. The Analects is a small book, not even one hundred pages, but it took me a week to read. I have not yet scratched the surface. This is a classic of Eastern thought well worth the study.
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Jul 22, 2011 David Sarkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

While I have credited the writing of this work to Confucius, it was not actually written by him but rather by his disciples. Thus Confucius joins Socrates and Jesus Christ of having an enormous influence upon the world without actually writing anything down (though this is not correct, as I further outline below). Further, like Jesus Christ and Socrates, the books are a record of his sayings (though, unlike Jesus Christ, he did not perform any miracles, nor did he speak of salvation).
An intere...more While I have credited the writing of this work to Confucius, it was not actually written by him but rather by his disciples. Thus Confucius joins Socrates and Jesus Christ of having an enormous influence upon the world without actually writing anything down (though this is not correct, as I further outline below). Further, like Jesus Christ and Socrates, the books are a record of his sayings (though, unlike Jesus Christ, he did not perform any miracles, nor did he speak of salvation).
An interesting point, the phrase 'Confucius says' appears only once in the book, most of the time his sayings are introduced with the phrase 'the master says'. Like Jesus and Socrates, these writings were collected years after his death, though it does appear that there are some books attributed to him, though there is no hard evidence that he actually wrote anything, though it might be best to suggest that we have no works authored by Confucius, only books attributed to him. Further, since he was in politics for a time, it is more than possible that he did write things, and bureaucratic writing does tend to lead to other literary creations. Confucius married, had children, and died a natural death (it appears) as opposed to being executed like Jesus and Socrates.
The Analects is a book of wisdom which has created a lot of controversy over the centuries. While Confucius is held in high regard, he has a lot to say about our relations to the sovereign and does suggest that submission to the soveriegn is the best (which brings him in line with Jesus' political teachings). Confucius holds education in high regard, and this is where I will quote my favourite analect 'to study without thinking is futile, to think without studying is dangerous'. While one could sit down and explore these analects, one to the best ways to approach them is to consider each one on their merit. While there is a lot of context to consider, many of these sayings (like the book of Proverbs) are timeless.
Confucius is also a big supporter of election by merit. That is a person should hold a managerial position because of his (or her) skill and ability rather than simply through family or friends. Our society, and indeed the British Empire, does consider merit in a lot of managerial roles that exist, though due to our human nature, it is always the case that we will tend to look over somebody much more qualified in favour of somebody that we tend to like. However the days of generals and lords being appointed by family are long gone, and those entities that end up running on familial benefits end up not lasting all that long.
This version of the book is full of footnotes, and that can be quite annoying when one is constantly flicking back and forth to read the footnotes. Granted, many of us don't even bother reading them, however with a book like the Analects, it is required because it was written so long ago in a society that was completely foreign to us. As such these footnotes tend to identify the characters in the Analects as well as comment on the difficulty of the translation. Further, this was written in the pre-imperial age when China was little more than a collection of fuedal states. Confucius did not have an immediate impact upon China, however after his disciples commemorated him by writing down his sayings, his style of politics ended up becoming the dominant. Some have suggested that Confucius was an Athiest, however the Analects do not seem to suggest that this is the case, he pays due respect to heaven, and there is no indication that he did not believe in a spiritual world. What he is interested in though is how to effectively rule the physical world.(less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Robyn Blaber rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chinese-literature, religion, philosophy

I'm on the fence with this one. I read religious books to better understand the adherents to a religion. I suppose that the first chapters talk about being filial, which I find that most of the Chinese people in my life are quite filial... almost to a fault.

As a religious work, it really skirts the afterlife and the notion of god(s) by saying such things as questioning how one can understand the afterlife if they don't understand life or how can one understand god if one doesn't understand man....more

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Nov 11, 2010 Ratna rated it 3 of 5 stars

onfucius was a moral philosopher and thinker from ancient China. His teachings are held very highly in the Chinese world. Over the years these teachings have come to establish themselves as a school of orthodox philosophy, with a follower base that almost borders that of a religion. Much has been written about him (both real and attributed) after his years by his followers, raising his status to almost that of a demigod. However the Analects remain one of the few authentic texts about his life a...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

This was hard work in places! The Analects themselves probably could do with studying in detail and interpreting rather than just reading for interest – they are a bit, well, philosophical. Fortunately Lau gives us the gist of the Analects in the introduction. The basic upshot of Confucius is the ‘Golden Rule’ common to most belief systems, but unlike the religions of the West and Near-East there is no reward in heaven for ones good deeds, no punishment for bad – it is simply that one should end...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Jesse Lopes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Confucius was, in his youthful studies, deeply influenced by the Tao Te Ching, and this is evident in the way he supposedly spoke - dialectically. The dialectics are almost always displaying the inverted contrasts of the wise man and the common man. Confucius disparages common people, saying, "They can be made to follow a path, but not to understand it." Confucius, however, did not condone the leading of people along any path, for he well knew that there is no path for people to follow by the Da...more

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Mar 07, 2013 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy, spiritual, chinese-literature, study-group

This is one of the spiritual texts that I have considered, meditated upon and read in recent years (Along with Lao-Tse, Mohammed, and the Old Testament). The Analects were distilled over centuries from the teachings of Confucius who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.
Confucius' political beliefs were rooted in his belief that a good ruler would be self-disciplined, would govern his subjects through education and by his own example, and would seek to correct his subjects with love and concern rather than...more This is one of the spiritual texts that I have considered, meditated upon and read in recent years (Along with Lao-Tse, Mohammed, and the Old Testament). The Analects were distilled over centuries from the teachings of Confucius who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.
Confucius' political beliefs were rooted in his belief that a good ruler would be self-disciplined, would govern his subjects through education and by his own example, and would seek to correct his subjects with love and concern rather than punishment and coercion. "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity among them be sought by punishments, they will try to escape punishment and have no sense of shame. If they are led by virtue, and uniformity sought among them through the practice of ritual propriety, they will possess a sense of shame and come to you of their own accord" (Analects 2.3; see also 13.6).
The importance of education and study is a fundamental theme of the Analects. For Confucius, a good student respects and learns from the words and deeds of his teacher, and a good teacher is someone older who is familiar with the ways of the past and the practices of antiquity (Analects 7.22). Confucius emphasized the need to find balance between formal study and intuitive self-reflection (Analects 2.15).
Throughout the Analects Confucius' students frequently request that Confucius define ren and give examples of people who embody it, but Confucius generally responds indirectly to his students' questions, instead offering illustrations and examples of behaviours that are associated with ren and explaining how a person could achieve it. According to Confucius, a person with a well-cultivated sense of ren would: speak carefully and modestly (Analects 12.3); be resolute and firm (Analects 12.20); be courageous (Analects 14.4); be free from worry, unhappiness, and insecurity (Analects 9.28; 6.21); moderate their desires and return to propriety (Analects 12.1); be respectful, tolerant, diligent, trustworthy, and kind (Analects 17.6); and, would love others (Analects 12.22). Confucius recognized his followers' disappointment that he would not give them a more comprehensive definition of ren, but assured them that he was sharing all that he could (Analects 7.23).
It strikes this reader as a very un-western book and difficult to decipher. In spite of that there is a lot that Confucius' thought has in common with the wisdom of the west. One of the most famous doctrines is that of "reciprocity".
15.24 Zigong asked: "Is there any single word that could guide one's entire life?" The Master said: "Should it not be reciprocity? What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others." (Simon Leys trans., p 77)
That is complementary to the more familiar "Golden Rule" that says one should "do unto others as one would have them do unto you." From reading the aphorisms one comes away with an appreciation for culture, family and what seems to be a conservative view of man. It also is a very humane, even humanistic, view of society.
Apparently this was just what was needed during the lifetime of Confucius as there was great change in his society. He lived during a period of acute cultural crisis. Confucius, like thinkers in the West from Socrates to Gandhi, demonstrated a confidence that in turn drew followers to him and his thought. We can thank them for what little of Confucius' thought that we have. In these books and fragments we have the distillation of his thought and it impresses me as worth meditating on. It is a treasure of humanity.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with all books on philosophy, your mileage may vary. It didn't really resonate with me, but it was a relatively easy read, and Confucius himself stands out in it as a surprisingly interesting and relatable figure - a wise and greatly respected man, but one who suffered disappointments throughout his life, such as the loss of his favorite pupil, the failure of some of his other students to live up to his beliefs, and his disappointment in not achieving greater things. While his advice and visi...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Michael Connolly added it

Shelves: reviewed, revisit

When Confucius was asked what he thought about the idea of being kind to someone who does you wrong, he pointed out that this would be unfair to people who treat you right, who deserve to be treated better than people who do you wrong. Confucius was therefore an advocate of justice, was Aristotle. Jesus, on the other hand, said turn the other cheek and love your enemies, which is not justice. I also liked the suggestion of Confucius that one should not serve in government when evil people domina...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-history-thought

A real classic. I keep it as a reference. As with the "Tao Te Ching" there is so much that is wrongly attributed to Confucius. This book is one I use regularly. It's well organized with a good index. Will share one of my favorite quotations: "The Master said:, In serving your father and mother you ought to dissuade them from doing wrong in the gentlest way. If you see your advice being, ignored, you should not become disobedient but remain reverent. You should not complain even if in so doing yo...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Confucius is great reading for the fan of moral philosophy, esp. one who is unused to Eastern thought--my husband qualifies as such a person, and I think he got into it more than I did.
Confucius delivers lots of advice on how to be a "gentleman," or a benevolent, dutiful person. He aims at those who will be serving in the government, but much of his instruction could be applied to anyone. There is nothing of the spiritual in here, though Confucianism as a way of thought is sometimes referred to...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Esmeralda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, politics

This text is really for hard core Chinese or Confucius scholars. Two fast, straightforward sections "Confucian Analects" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" were excellent to read. Culturally, this influential writing gives one an idea of the mechanics behind community centered thinking. The series of rules, expectation, and moralizing are about personal matters as well as political. There is a sense of order between ruler/citizen, parents/child, etc.

"Master said, Master said"- very authoritarian st...more

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Feb 13, 2010 Fernando Fernandes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-classics

The tough thing about writing a review of a book you read a long time ago is that you cannot remember enough of what you read to do justice to the book. The positive thing is that you can remember only that which mostly impacted you and your life. In "The Analects" some things that came across to me were: the power of ritual and cultural traditions as a means to keeping youthful impetuous in line, and the characteristics of a great leader, teacher, and/or friend. I don’t give this book another s...more

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Mar 08, 2013 VEnigmaV rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Analects are interesting to read, in that every sentence that Confucius says does force one to take a moment to consider what was written.

The unfortunate thing is that once you have considered what Confucius wrote, it becomes clear that the man was (outside of being brilliant), an idiot. By forcing the reader to think, he also forces you to consider the value of the tenet which he proposing, just to determine that the conclusion he is clearly trying to advance as being correct is also comple...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

This lively new translation with clear explanatory notes by one of the foremost scholars of classical Chinese provides the ideal introduction to the Analects for readers who have no previous knowledge of the Chinese language and philosophical traditions.

"How dare I claim to be a sage or a benevolent man?"

By constructing the philosophy expressed through The Analects, Confucius might well dare to make such a claim. The Analects are a collection of Confucius' sayings, compiled by his pupils shortly...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Arvid rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ivanhoe, merchant-of-venice, translations-shelf

The classic translation is not a 100% satisfying book like proverbs, but I once wrote a congratory letter to President Gerald Ford concerning a "First Family" reference I came across in a passing read. It is not is not a coincidence that amongs the Presidents I have seen in person, I number Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, and amongst Vice Presidents, I only number Al Gore and Hubert H. Humphrey. Gerald Ford came to the LBJ Library with Pat Paulson to attend a "Presidential Humor Forum", and I enjo...more

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Oct 31, 2011 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

One of the Four Books and Five Classics, this book is pretty enlightening regarding Chinese culture and history. The actual content gets a bit repetitive, but that's to be expected of these type of classics. It's also not quite as thought provoking as the Tao Te Ching. Still, it's a solid book and really has a lot to say.

I tried grabbing quotes from it via my Kindle as I was reading, but the Project Gutenberg version I was reading didn't support it. It's probably for the best, though. I would ha...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Bob Nichols rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this compilation (Random House, Modern Library Paperbacks; Arthur Waley, translator), Waley states that these sayings were put together long after Confucius's death and it is likely that many or perhaps none of them are authentic (in which case, they are from disciples). The sayings emphasize the role of moral force ("Te"), granted by Heaven, and its expression through the gentleman (advisor to rulers) who operate by even demeanor, without bias, and who promote goodness, which may be defined...more In this compilation (Random House, Modern Library Paperbacks; Arthur Waley, translator), Waley states that these sayings were put together long after Confucius's death and it is likely that many or perhaps none of them are authentic (in which case, they are from disciples). The sayings emphasize the role of moral force ("Te"), granted by Heaven, and its expression through the gentleman (advisor to rulers) who operate by even demeanor, without bias, and who promote goodness, which may be defined as the traditions of old (infused with "Te"). Confucius urges conformity to ritual and to the will of superiors because these are the sources of goodness. In its practical application, goodness translates into the golden rule and the middle way (avoiding extremes). A gentleman can be trained in virtue. He leads by following Tao, which is the way/path of self-restraint, not imposition. The gentleman's satisfaction comes from doing good, not recognition, and from serving one's prince, not oneself. Confucius's advice is practical. He advises about the qualities necessary in friendship (upright, true, wise), and notes those who should be avoided (those who are obsequious, have flexible principles, are clever at talk). Confucius sees a natural hierarchy among men, and notes the force of character when he states that "One who has reached the age of forty and is still disliked will be so till the end."

This is all good stuff, yet one wonders whether Confucius seeks to create artificial gentlemen who are urged to conform to an ideal for the impression (and authority)it creates. Confucius says that "A gentleman sees to it that his clothes and hat are put on straight, and imparts such dignity to his gaze that he imposes on others. No sooner do they see him from afar than they are in awe. Is not this indeed inspiring awe without ferocity?" The answer is yes for it conforms to the ideal of not using force. But it also leaves open the issue about where the role of authenticity is in all of this, and the abuses that can come from gentleman appearing to be someone he is not. (less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Srivas rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: china, philosophy, religion

Surprisingly unsatisfying, for a book so widely revered, and so important in moulding Chinese thought. The book has very little organization - you could take random passages from anywhere in the text and substitute them pretty much anywhere else - several passages are in fact repeated, and it mostly seems like quirky redaction, not some sort of deeper organization. If there are unifying principles or argumentative structures at all, they are mostly to be inferred, and are not stated, much less d...more Surprisingly unsatisfying, for a book so widely revered, and so important in moulding Chinese thought. The book has very little organization - you could take random passages from anywhere in the text and substitute them pretty much anywhere else - several passages are in fact repeated, and it mostly seems like quirky redaction, not some sort of deeper organization. If there are unifying principles or argumentative structures at all, they are mostly to be inferred, and are not stated, much less defended. There are many nice statements of an aphoristic or proverbial sort, and some are actually quite interesting. Common is what I would call patterned argumentation: take some pattern, like 'All X's are A but not B, while all not-X's are B but not A' then fill in terms by turning the crank. So for example, all authoritative people are bold but not brash, while all petty people are brash but not bold'. I didn't pick out that example from the text; just made my own, but there's plenty of examples of this very pattern in there. And there are lots of different patterns; another familiar one is the 'for want of a nail' pattern - if you don't eat broccoli you will get sick, if you get sick you won't do well in school, if you do badly in school you'll never become an astronaut, then man will never make it to Mars, and the United Federation of Planets will never come into being, that sort of thing.

Another 'trick' is to rely on the rampant homophony of Classical Chinese; repeatedly Confucius is asked how to X or why is Y or what characterizes a Z, and answers the question by using the same word, but in a different sense. I don't want to call this mere punning, but it is unsatisfying at some point (setting aside that the punning becomes a footnote in translation; that's surely not his fault.) since wordplay substitutes for reasoning or argument. How lucky, I want to say, that the best answer to a question just happens to use the same words, and needs no recourse to the broader resources of language or thought. Speaking of argument, there really isn't much of that; mostly this is just the Great Master saying disconnected but cutesy things. Confucius also has some characteristic, peculiar ritual obsessions (from our standpoint, not his or that of the Chinese) - that the mourning period for a parent or ruler be maintained for three years precisely, or about precisely when and how to bow when entering a court, etc.

I did go in wanting to read this more to understand an ethos, and to start understanding a man the Chinese make such great and varied use of. I was reading more for intellectual history than for philosophy, so to speak. Still, I didn't expect to find so little of that there - before reading the man I'd have taken for granted he belonged with the greatest thinkers. Now I'd say influential, but pretty meh.(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Jeff rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, non-fiction, holy_shit

Book #2 in 2012's survey of holy shit (#1 was Tao Te Ching).

Simply put, virtually everything about this book was not what i wanted.

The Dover edition of James Legge's translation provides same-page Chinese, English, and footnotes, which briefly allowed me to think i could learn some Chinese. Comprehension of some recurring nouns and verbs can be acquired through simple code/pattern recognition but live instruction would be better.

After that brief excitement faded, only Confucian tedium remained....more

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Feb 27, 2012 Stuart Aken rated it 1 of 5 stars

Disappointing. That's a bald statement and perhaps not the most expected, considering the reputation of this Chinese man of…wisdom? I didn't find that, to be honest. From several hundred short passages of supposed erudition I listed ten I thought worthy of spreading to the wider world.
All the Confucianists will, of course be screaming abuse and possibly foaming at the mouth, because Confucius, rather like other famed wise men, has taken a role close to that of a god for many.
I found him conserv...more Disappointing. That's a bald statement and perhaps not the most expected, considering the reputation of this Chinese man of…wisdom? I didn't find that, to be honest. From several hundred short passages of supposed erudition I listed ten I thought worthy of spreading to the wider world.
All the Confucianists will, of course be screaming abuse and possibly foaming at the mouth, because Confucius, rather like other famed wise men, has taken a role close to that of a god for many.
I found him conservative, unimaginative, intolerant and a man who seemed to express a singular self-preservationist philosophy, no doubt intended to keep him alive in what was a very violent society. I gleaned this, by the way, from this book, not from a reading of history.
It's clear that his insistence on the 'Way' is a plea to men (he has no time for women, who were clearly no more than playthings and servants in his time) to be of good character. By which he appears to mean, obey those set above you socially and politically. That a man so revered could be such a supporter of the tyranny of his time and yet accrue disciples merely serves to underline my own impression that there are those in society who'll accept leadership and direction regardless of its merit or otherwise. Faith, in general, is an illustration of this.
It's likely that, in common with Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed, his actual words have been usurped and deliberately distorted to suit the ends of those who wished to make capital from his aura of celebrity. I found little to admire in the words I was offered here. Much, rather like the Qur'an, is banal, repetitive and uninspiring. There is a deal of meaningless, to the modern western mind, ceremonial and social reportage that would require a deep knowledge of Chinese history to appreciate. I felt disinclined to spend the time and effort necessary to extract any worthwhile meaning from these passages, since the rest of the supposed words of wisdom were, in fact, anything but.
So, it was, for me, a disappointing read. I can't recommend it. There are, however, a round ten short sayings that carry some resonance in the modern world and I'll happily spread those, in the hope that the reputation of the originator will, at least, lend some authority to these aphorisms for those who might otherwise discount them out of hand.
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Feb 07, 2012 Barnaby Thieme rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: china, philosophy, religion-mythology

David Hinton as produced a translation of the Analects that is highly-readable and sometimes lyrical, such as:

Adept Kung said: "When the Master talks about civility and cultivation, you can hear what he says. But when he talks about the nature of things and the Way of Heaven, you can't hear a word." - V.12

The translation of the key term "Jen" as "humanity" appears to be well established, but I think it is a poor choice and rather prefer Peter Boodberg's "co-humanity." It reflects the etymology...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Hieu Cao rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultivation, tao

I did enjoy the introduction of this book; however, its content is difficult to comprehend with my current mindset and background. Confucius' emphasis on rites is still much enigmatic to me; my guess is that rites to Confucius is similar to meditation to Buddha. Perhaps Confucius believes that by practicing rites, men can develop noble qualities. Nevertheless his stress on rites, behaviors and benevolence seems to be a self-restraining method for learning. It easily creates unnecessary precepts...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eastern-philosophy

I think Plato and Confucius would have gotten along brilliantly. What I'm getting out of reading these ancient texts is something inherently simple, yet somehow beyond our grasp, that living a virtuous life is more important than attaining wealth or status. It's more important than doing well in school or getting a good job. It's more important than getting what you want in life.

A "Gentleman" in the book is one who follows the Way...

"Raise the straight and set them over the crooked and the commo...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy, religion, classics, 100-significant-books, spirituality

Along with Taoism and Buddhism, Confucianism is called one of the "three great teachings" or "three great religions" of China, and has had an enormous influence not just on China but the entire Far East. This was on Good Reading's list of "100 Significant Books" and there's no question this is one of those books anyone who wishes to consider themselves educated should be familiar with. Reading it you can certainly see a lot of the hallmarks of traditional Chinese culture with its emphasis on fam...more

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