The Essential Analects: Selected Passages With Traditional Commentary

by Confucius, Edward Slingerland (Translator)

The ideal edition for a survey course or a course in which the Analects is one of several works studied, this volume provides a representative selection from Slingerland's acclaimed translation of the full work, including passages covering all major themes. An appendix of selected traditional commentaries keyed to each passage provides access to the text and to its reception and interpretation. Also included are a concise general Introduction, bibliography, notes, and three additional appendices: Traditional Chinese Commentators Cited; Disciples of Confucius; and Glossary of Terms.

Genres: Philosophy, School, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 430

About the author

Chinese philosopher Confucius, originally Kong Fuzi and born circa 551 BC, promoted a system of social and political ethics, emphasizing order, moderation, and reciprocity between superiors and subordinates; after his death in 479 BC, disciples compiled the Analects , which contains a collection of his sayings and dialogues.

Teachings of this social thinker deeply influenced Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese life.

孔子 - Kong Zi
孔夫子 - Kong Fuzi (Kung Fu-Tzu)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius

Reviews

[Laurinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is interesting to read Plato and Confucius during the same period of time, and to contrast these two great philosophers’ views on moral values.

I love how Confucius stresses the ideas of self-cultivation in a sense that everything has its own meaning. We cannot change how things affect us, but we certainly can learn and reflect in order to find our own purpose in this world. Plato, on the other hand, set out a value that each one of us is born into our destiny, and we need to do the things that are best fitted for our nature. I personally don’t agree with this philosophy, because it somewhat limits what a person thinks they could achieve. It’s devastating when one decides to flow with the stream of reality instead of trying to swim against it.

[Xinyan Chen · Rating 2 out of 5]

good to have read, not nice to actually read

[Grant Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

tl;dr: the Analects themselves are fairly good, while the translation/edition is superb

Whether you read the Analects or not should not depend on a random review on goodreads; however, I 'll give it my best shot.

First off, this translation is superb. It's really easy to just gloss over things, but this edition always provides easy to digest explanations. Many of the references would simply be lost on the modern reader without the editor's notes. There are a TON of references to contemporaries almost no one has heard of. I also like that these notes aren't placed in footnotes or endnotes, but are placed immediately below the text in question. On the downside, this does end up doubling the length of the book or so, but I just don't think I could've gotten much out of this without an annotated version like this. I would rank this edition 5/5!

The Analects themselves are fairly good and interesting. Sometimes it gets repetitive. Sometimes, it's easy to roll your eyes (is the color purple really so terrible?). There are even a few bits at the end which probably aren't original. Nevertheless, Confucius has good insights. He is an ultra-trad. Indeed, I'm surprised western conservatives don't cite him more. He makes a strong case for living a traditional life. In addition, he lays out a realist, not an idealist, philosophy. This reminds me of Aristotle. Both of these great thinkers try and inculcate good habits that usually lead to good behavior. Confucius doesn't ponder things that are THAT abstract, nor does he advocate for being rigid and inflexible. I'd give Analects 3/5 for having some good insights, but losing some for not being a terribly captivating read.

Overall, 7/10

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this translation of the Analects. I was able to understand the initial sentiments of the sayings as well as ponder their deeper meanings. Granted, this is only a selection, but these alone are rich in wisdom. (Thank goodness for the commentary, because some of them assume cultural knowledge of that time, so the sayings sound strange when read, but make sense with the commentary.) I learned about Confucianism in school and so went in with a few preconceived notions about what I would read; safe to say, I was wrong on more than once account! The concept of "the gentleman" as the epitomical human being was completely new to me, but I liked how Confucius' teachings used this ideal to explain proper behavior and how to pursue Virtue. It was interesting that in this school of thought, "proper behavior" didn't always equate to unyielding uprightness -- in fact, such rigidity was condemned as a block to Virtue. A true "gentleman" was supposed to adapt to whatever situation he found himself in, and sometimes that entailed surreptitious comportment or equivocation. Even though centuries old, I found Confucius' teachings refreshing. I definitely recommend this as a must-read; it provides a good foundation for basic ethics.

[sophia]

I’ve learned about both Western and Eastern philosophers before, but to get to read them and compare them has been really interesting! Now with a foundation of Confucian ideas from Kongzi the influence on other Chinese philosophers shows.

[Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
Definitely my favorite of the books I've had to read for my philosophy class. Confucius, while I don't agree in all places of his philosophy, gives grand platitudes that one can apply to their everyday life. On education, sacrifice, and relationships.

[Abigail Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a class and really enjoyed it. However, if I had read it on my own, I would have needed some kind of companion guide to help with interpretation and context.

[grace copps]

read for my intro to ethics class

[Kayla Mickelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school. Difficult to follow with the lack of context and even the commentary wasn’t super helpful.x

[Justin Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I read this for class, it was still an enjoyable read. Reading Confucius provides great insight into the culture of pre-imperial China and allows us to grapple with interesting ideas.