Confucio en 90 minutos

Philosophers in 90 Minutes #4

by Paul Strathern

Los descubrimientos de Niels Bohr en el campo de la teoría cuántica llevaron a avances monumentales en la física y en nuestra comprensión de la estructura atómica. Bohr ganó el premio Nobel por su labor en 1922 y sus ideas, aún hoy, siguen impulsando a la física hacia nuevos descubrimientos. ¿Pero qué es la teoría cuántica? La mayoría de nosotros no entendemos ni los conceptos más básicos aunque en ella reside la clave para comprender realidades tan complejas como los agujeros negros o la bomba atómica. Bohr y la teoría cuántica presenta un brillante relato de la vida y obra de Bohr, y ofrece una explicación clara y accesible del significado e importancia de su descubrimiento y de lo que implica para nuestras vidas y para el futuro.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History, Biography, Religion, China

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Strathern (born 1940) is a English writer and academic. He was born in London, and studied at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he served in the Merchant Navy over a period of two years. He then lived on a Greek island. In 1966 he travelled overland to India and the Himalayas. His novel A Season in Abyssinia won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1972.

Besides five novels, he has also written numerous books on science, philosophy, history, literature, medicine and economics.

Reviews

[Ehsan'Shokraie' · Rating 4 out of 5]

ولتر:"من برای کنفوسیوس احترام قائلم،او نخستین فردیست که برایش وحی نازل نمی شد."

کنفوسیوس یکی از معدود انسان های تاریخ است که جاودان زیست..کنفسیوس بی شک مسیح شرق بود..مسیحی اما بس متفاوت..مسیحی برای فلسفه خرد گرا و عمل محور چین..مسیحی که خوبی و فضیلت را در ارتباط انسان ها با یکدیگر ضروری می دید..اما نه با وعده هایی موهوم و نا معین..آیین یا فلسفه کنفوسیوسی بیش از دو هزار سال نیرومند و اثر گذار باقی ماند..چرا که پایه هایش نه بر پاداش و ارواح و ایزدان نامرئی بود..بلکه بر عنصر اصلی وجود انسان..بر اخلاق و تکامل انسان حقیقی..انسانی که فراتر از نیاز های حیوانی اش بیندیشد..انسانی که درست کار باشد..نه برای پاداش درست کاری..با دیگران مهربان باشد نه برای میوه هایی در جهان دیگر..با فضیلت و صداقت باشد..فعال و اماده برای ایفای نقشی حقیقی و پر فایده در جامعه..نه به امید وصال معشوقه هایی غیر انسان نما در جهانی دیگر...نه..تمام اینها..صرفا بر یک دلیل و پایه بنا شده‌..آنهم اینکه تنها اینگونه زیستن درست و ارزشمند است و این خود از بزرگترین‌گام های تکامل اخلاقی نوع بشر است.
کنفوسیوس ۲۵۰۰ سال پیش به بینشی رسید که به جرئت ما در زندگی خود هرگز بدان نخواهیم رسید.
کنفوسیوس،مسیح شرق،که انسان را متحول ساخت..نه با معجزات و وعده ها یا حتی مرگ...که با تفکر،فضیلت،عمل و زندگی.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confucius considered most religious practices of his day to be superstitious nonsense. But he did appreciate the beneficial effects of ritual. Perhaps this is why he understood the importance of good government with highly trained workers. I know it is why I admire him so much.

Jen: A quality of magnanimity, virtue, and love of humanity. The Chinese for this word is made up of two elements: "man" and "two." Thus it applies to society as a whole. Not just to the individual. Confucius explained the word: "It means to love your fellow human beings." It was not just learned from experience. It required education.

Te: Virtue. This was an evolutionary step forward from the barbarism of the past.

Yi: Righteousness.

Li: Decorum and observance of traditional rites in everyday life.

Many contemporary Chinese scholars find the I Ching an embarrassment. It is a blend of metaphysical mumbo jumbo and psychological insight.

Voltaire: "I respect Confucius. He was the first man who did not receive divine inspiration."

Confucianism has shown it it possible to conduct one's life in an appropriate fashion without recourse to metaphysical speculation. Words for me to live by.

[Jimena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confucio en 90 minutos es la cuarta entrega de esta colección a la que tengo acceso. De ella he de decir que es considerable la cantidad de información biográfica que aporta teniendo en cuenta que es uno de los filosos más antiguos y de los que menos información fehaciente se posee.

Hecho este reconocimiento debo proceder con la que considero la falacia fundamental de esta entrega: no está escrita con objetividad o imparcialidad, al menos no en su totalidad. En más de un momento se percibe en las palabras y formas del autor su poco entusiasmo hacia la fisiología -o forma de practicarla- de Confucio y si bien es inevitable que un conocedor del área tenga posturas e ideologías propias que lo inclinan más en favor de ciertos pensadores que de otros, al tratarse de un texto educativo e informativo debería no contener opiniones que pudieran condicionar.

La línea del tiempo resulta, una vez más, sumamente provechosa para contextualizar históricamente los sucesos.

[Guilherme Passos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eu não sei porque Strathern fez esse livro como fez. É tudo tão superficial e rápido, não explica direito o pensamento nem a biografia, tudo bem que a biografia é aceitável dado a antiguidade de Confúcio, mas colocar várias páginas de enrolação com pouco conteúdo útil é sacanagem.

Talvez um dos piores da série até agora pra mim.

[Latif · Rating 3 out of 5]

دسترسی ای به اصلِ اثر ندارم ولی ترجمه فیروزمند روندِ مطالعه رو برام سخت کرده بود، بعضی جمله ها معنی نمی‌داد برام. جدای از این مطالعه فرهنگ هایِ شرقی برام همیشه مسأله است و پرسش برانگیز. درباره کنفوسیوس چیزی نخوندم و این اثر گامِ آغازینم بود که تا حدی یه چشم اندازِ کلّی بهم داد. این تاکید کنفوسیوس بر حکمت عملی و اهمیت زیستِ جمعی و کاربستِ اندیشه در خدمت به اجتماع برام جالب بود.
اشاراتِ تاریخیِ استراترن هم جالب بود. مثلا در صفحه دوازده درباره قرن ششم پیش از میلاد و همزمانیِ تأمل برانگیزِ برانگیختنِ سنت های مختلف دوران سازِ فکری میپردازه اینطوری که:
"قرن ششم پیش از میلاد به تحقیق در تکامل بشر، از آن زمان که نخستین انسان غارنشین ناخواسته خانه اش را به آتش کشید، بسیار اهمیت دارد. غیر از تولد کنفوسیوس، این قرن شاهد تاسیس آئین دائو(تائوئیسم)، تولد بودا، و شروع فلسفه یونانی هم بود. این که چرا این حوادث فکری تعیین کننده باید درست در این زمان، و عمدتا در تمدن هایی که در مراحل متفاوتی از توسعه به سر می‌بردند و با یگدیگر تماسی نداشتند، رخ می‌داد همچنان پوشیده است.( بعضی از پاسخ هایی که داده می‌شود -آمدن سفینه های بیگانه، فعل و انفعالات استثنایی در سطح خورشید، بیماری مغزی و مانند این ها- می‌رساند که قابلیت ذهنی ما از این زمان به بعد چندان پیشرفتی نکرده است.)"
چنان که از پاراگراف آخر بر میاد بخشی از لذتِ خواندن این کتاب نکته سنجی های طنازانه استراترن هست که مفاهیم ثقیل و کلاف در هم گوریده مطالب رو بهتر قابل فهم و درک می‌کرد. مثلا در صفحه سی و هفت کتاب درباره فرزند کنفوسیوس، لیو مینویسه:
" پسرش لئو نیز درگذشت. از زندگی لیو عملا چیزی دانسته نیست. می‌گویند خصوصیات استثنایی نداشته، اما شواهد اخیر خلاف این را می‌رساند. فقط ظرف یکی دو قرن، بیش از چهل هزار نفر در چین مدعی شدند که از تبار کنفوسیوس اند -که به نظر می آید ناشی از کار و فعالیت استثنایی تنها پسر استاد بوده باشد."
استراترن در تحلیل خود بزرگترین نقطه قوت آیین کنفوسیوسی را "فقدانِ کمابیش یکدست و گسترده یِ منطق" می‌دونه و در ادامه اضافه می‌کنه "نهایتا نمیشد آن را به تمامی ثابت کرد ، و اگر خوب دقت میکردی چیزی در آن می یافتی که تقریبا همه را ثابت کند. آیین کنفوسیوس در این نقطه قوت با کتاب مقدس همچنین با متون مذاهب بسیار دیرپا شریک بود." یکی از تکّه هایی از ترجمه که به نظرم گنگ اومد همین‌جاست اما چیزی که من از این قسمت دریافتم اینه که استراترن قابل تفسیر بودنِ آثار کنفوسیوس و دیگر متون هم-دسته با اون رو عاملی برای حفظ و گسترشش میدونه، اینکه هر کس در اثر چیزی برای خود و زندگی اش پیدا می‌کنه. در اواخر کتاب هم توضیحاتی کوتاه درباره سه آیین مهمِ چین، یعنی کنفوسیوس و دائو و بودیسم پیش کشیده و با جملاتی از کنفوسیوس کتاب به پایان می‌رسه.
فارغ از ترجمه اثر بدی نبود اما برای فهمِ کنفوسیوس متنِ ابتدائیِ راهگشایی هم به نظرم نیومد.

[Addilynne · Rating 1 out of 5]

The authors grasp of Confucius is better than his grasp of Marx in his 90 minute Marx book. But that being said it's still a failing grasp just not a completely face planting failing grasp, still a failure of introduction and interpretation of Confucius, do not recommend.

[LInda Sheu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure if the author really explained Confucius very well

[Dan N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 stars.

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Po zapoznaniu z kilkoma lekturami „History in an Hour” postanowiłem sięgnąć teraz po tytuł z serii „Philosophy in an Hour”. Ucieszyłem się, że jest też seria o filozofii, zrobiona na wzór o historii. Serie o filoyofii postanowiłem rozpocząć od Konfucjusza. Mocno intryguje mnie kultura chińska.
O Konfucjuszu i jego filozofii miałem dość małe pojęcie. Nawet nie widziałem kiedy dokładnie żył. Dzięki tej pozycji poznajemy nie tylko filozogię Konfucjusza ale również zarys jego biografi.. Konfucjusz żył w piątym wieku przed naszą erą, w podobnym okresie co działali już filozofii Greccy. Co ciekawe, filozofia Konfucjusza oraz niketóre nurty w filozofii greckiej czy też rzymskiej a następnie samo chreścijaństwo mają trochę wspólnego ze sobą, mimo, że w tamtejszych czasach poszczególni współtwórcy różnych trendów filozoficznych nie mogli słyszeć o sobie oraz o swoich pomysłach na wzajem. To ciekawe zjawisko nie pierwszy raz pojawiające się w histrii filozofii czy też historii świata.
Konfucjusz piastował też ważne stanowisko w cesarstwie chińskim. Był ministrem odpowiedzialnym za porządek i bezpieczeństwo. To ciekawe, gdyż miał możliwość zastosować swoje pomysły w praktyce. Czasem filozofia Konfucjusza łączoną jest z duchowością czy też uważana jest nawet za religię. Jednak Konfucjusz był stuprocentowym agnostykiem, nie wieżył w żadną istotę nadprzyrodzoną. To też dość ciekawa rzecz, którą odkryłem poznawając filozofię Konfucjusza.
W czasa rewolucji kulturalnej Konfucjusz był zakazany przez władzę komunistyczną. Jednak co ciekawe czerwona książeczka Mao zawiera sporo myśli Konfucjusza. Stało się tak być może nawet w nieświadomy sposó, gdyż przez tysiąclecia filozofia Kofucjusza mocno przeniknęła do kultury chińskiej.
Oprócz filozofii Konfucjusza w Chinach ważną rolę odgrywa Taoism oraz buddyzm. Są to jednak filozofie odrębne i często różnią się od siebie. Z czasem jednak dochodziło do „mieszania” poszczególnych pomysłów z tych trzech trendów filozoficznych. Uczniowie Konfucjusza zapożyczalo sobie z czasem pomysły z Buddyzmu oraz Taoismu.
Bardzo ważnym wpływem Konfucjusza na kulturę chińską ma jego myśli związane ze sprawowaniem sprawiedliwej władzy. Rozmawiałem o filozofii Konfucjusza w ostatnim czasie z rodowitym Chińczykiem. Powiedział mi dość ciekawą rzecz. Konfucjusz już w piątym wieku przed naszą erą opisał co charakteryzuje „dobrego” czy też „złego” szefa. Rzeczy które czytam w niektó®ych poradnikach czy też podręcznikach z zarządzania o tym jak powienien zachowywać się dobry szeg, ponad dwa tysiące lat temu Konfucjusz opisał w swojej filozofii.
Oczywiście w filozofii Konfucjusza znajdziemy też kilka absurdów, na przykład odnośnie ubierania się.
Nieminiej jednak, wpływ Konfucjusza na kluturę chińską czy też azjatycką jest ogromny. Jeśli interesuje nas Azja i jej kultura dobrze jest się zapoznać z Konfucjuszem.

[Onur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Özet bir kitap olsa da filozofa dair sözlerin, bilgilerin nereden derlendiğini gösteren referanslar belirtilmemiş. Kaynakçası olmayan bir felsefe kitabını ciddiye almak maalesef çok zor. Üstelik kitabın içerisinde Konfüçyus ve felsefesini değerlendiren cümlelerde "Bazılarına göre.. Çoğunluğun düşüncesi.. Genel kanı.." diye başlayan muğlak ifadeler yer alması bence facia.

Maalesef Wikipedia'nın olmadığı zamanlarda işte böyle kitaplar yayınlanıyordu :) PC ekranından Konfüçyus'a dair genel bilgi edinmeye üşenenler okusun ama benden söylemesi wikipedia'daki bilgi ve alıntılar, bence bu kitaptakilerden daha güvenilir.

[Bogdan Liviu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When I was 15 I was only interested in studying. When I was 30 I began my life; at 40 I was self-assured; at 50 I understood my place in the vast scheme of things; at 60 I learned to give up arguing; and now at 70 I can do whatever I like without disrupting my life."

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of dry. May have been more fun in book format as opposed to audio.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Astonishing Facts included…click here to learn more



In my humble opinion, this book and it seems the others in the 90 minutes series are great. Sure, I looked with suspicion at the idea, which sounds pompous, perhaps pretentious; I grant you that- Aristotle, Plato in 90 minutes…

- I mean, common man …are you for real?!

- You can’t offer a giant of philosophy in ninety days, let alone minutes

- But what is the alternative?

In my case, there isn’t much I can do about the classics of Philosophy. I approached Aristotle and found him so dry I was on the point of exhaustion, which means no kudos for this reader. Kant was making me dizzy, literally. So I am philosophically challenged. I need to get to these guys through an intermediary.

And Paul Strathern does the trick. I have learned to love his irony, wit and even sarcasm. I gave a few samples in Aristotle. I’ll try here as well

- Strathern talks about the possible irony of Confucius, but the author is lightly mocking himself

- There are some sayings of Confucius which are derided, like if you make mistakes and not amendments, it will be worse and Strathern goes: of course you will, plain and boring

- The scale of killing is seen with a rather peculiar sense of humor: the ancients did it, the communists as well and this seems to be the Eastern scale- massacre equals big numbers

- The attitude of the communists is exposed – with their initial rejection of Confu Tzu- or however you spell him in the original

- The communist propaganda initially turned Confucius (which is the Western rendition for something rather different in sound, in Chinese) into an enemy of the people

- For the silly communists, perhaps the greatest Eastern thinker was made to be a land owner –which he was not – he even died in poverty, if I remember well

- An astonishing fact is turned in a funny statement by this nice guy, Strathern- Confucius, Taoism and Greek and Indian Philosophy all had landmarks and were born at about the same time

- Pretty amazing...hmm? And Paul Strathern goes on to remark –

- We can forget about the explanations that include space ships, aliens which only go to prove how little humanity has changed from the ancient days



Confucius insisted on a few principles, one of which is tradition. He seems to have been what we would call today a conservative, in the sense that he thought history provides most of the answers, if not all.

Decorum is something I love and Confucius emphasized. Here again, the author is funny-

- We are given descriptions of various garments and robes to be worn at different shindigs -which made commentators speak of Confucius as a fashion style creator

- Strathern doubts that and makes you laugh:

- For a true fashion guru, Confucius would have had to pronounce himself not just on the combination of fox and beaver fur to go with that funeral, the long robe with rabbit to wear meeting that official- Confucius should have pronounced himself on what to wear on the first Monday of May when out hunting with the governor…or something of the kind.

It is pretty astonishing that Confucius did give so many details on the various furs and sizes for different events, but hey, he was a stickler for formality:

Do not do unto others what you do not wish done to you –originates from him

Respect for elders and family is crucial and the explanation makes sense- people who do not respect their own, will be bad apples in society.

Confucius has advice for leaders and he regards order as extremely important.

His philosophy is at the core of many Eastern countries, including China, which had ambivalent views but keeps the great master in high regard, after placing him on the black list, in Mao’s days.

I have one thing in common with Confucius: he was for a while a Zoo keeper at a place which had Sacred Animals, and I guard my wife’s Holy Animals… not always, sometimes they slip away, but hey, I am a mere mortal with lousy incentives: I do not get paid, but scolded for my job and I foot the bill for the whole shindig.

And I met a group of forty Chinese high ranking officials, with whom I had to spend two weeks, travelling around Romania. They were awful, terrible with farts, gulps and no decorum in a European sense…

I doubt that they ever read Confucius and much of anything except for that little red book.

Needless to say I hate Communists – they took away half of my life.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav · Rating 5 out of 5]

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * Confucius Philosophy in an Hour (Audiobook) * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -} {- *

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pjLr... * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- ^ AUDIOBOOK ^ -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * 9/10 * -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = gROUNDED SAAGENESS = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWrl... {- *

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *

* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

[Uppalight Yagami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kisah tentang seorang filsuf asal China, Confusius, yang dengan apik dan penuh humor di garap oleh Paul Strathern tentunya merupakan salah satu bacaan yang mengantarkan kita tidak hanya mengenali filsafat cina tapi juga belajar kebijaksaan, kehidupan pun kepemimpinan darinya. Buku bacaan wajib untuk semua orang, terlebih kepada mereka yang berambisi menduduki kursi kekuasaan, sebab buku ini membuka mata kita untuk lebih merenungkan tentang makna pendidikan, kehidupan bermasyarakat, dan keteladanan dalam memimpin.

Dalam pendidikan:

"Belajarlah seakan-akan kamu sama sekali tak akan bisa mempelajarinya, seolah-olah kamu takut akan kehilangan apa yang hendak kamu pelajari itu". -Confusius

"Pendidikan adalah untuk semua orang tanpa memperhatikan kelas mereka. Di mana ada pendidikan, di sana tak ada pembedaan kelas." -Confusius

Dalam kehidupan:

"Jangan melakukan sesuatu kepada orang lain, bila kamu tak menghendaki hal itu dilakukan terhadapmu".- Confusius

"Laksanakan urusan-urusan publikmu tanpa rasa jengkel; laksanakan urusan-urusan pribadimu juga tanpa rasa mangkel. Kita seharusnya memiliki tujuan untuk menjadi manusia yang tidak diliputi kekhawatiran dan ketakutan. Bila setelah melakukan penilaian diri, seseorang mendapatkan kenyataan bahwa dirinya tak memiliki apa pun yang bisa dicela, lalu apa lagi yang perlu dikhawatirkan? apa lagi yang perlu ditakuti?". -Confusius

"Orang-orang yang unggul memperlihatkan perilaku keteladanan. Moralitas dari orang yang unggul merupaka suatu teladan (bila tidak, ia bukan orang yang unggul)". -Confusius

"Terdapat lima hal, dan siapa pun yang bisa melaksanakannya disebut sebagai jen. Kelima hal itu ialah rasa hormat, toleransi, dapat dipercaya, ketekunan yang cerdas, dan kemurahan hati. Kalau seorang manusia mempunyai rasa hormat, maka ia tak akan dihina. Kalau ia mempunyai sikap toleran, maka ia akan diterima oleh banyak orang. Jika ia dapat dipercaya, maka orang lain akan mempercayakan tanggung jawab padanya. Bila ia cerdas dan tekun, maka ia akan mencapai berbagai hasil. Kalau ia mempunyai sikap yang dipenuhi belas kasih, maka ia menjadi layak untuk memerintah orang lain". -Confucius

Dalam kepemimpinan:

"Pimpinlah rakyat dengan maklumat dan kendalikan mereka dengan hukuman, kau pasti akan mendapatkan masyarakat patuh yang tak punya rasa malu. Pimpinlah mereka dengan kemuliaan dan kendalikan mereka dengan ritual, kau pasti akan melihat sebuah masyarakat dengan rasa malu yang selalu ingin turut serta memperbaiki diri mereka dengan menggalang kebersamaan".
-Confusius

"Doronglah agar rakyat mau bekerja keras dengan menunjukkan keteladanan. Jangan sekali-kali mengendorkan upaya yang kamu lakukan". -Confusius (#jangankasihkendor #pertemanansehat)

"Apabila seorang penguasa pemerintah jujur, adil, dan tegas atas dirinya sendiri, maka akan muncul ketaatan tanpa harus diberikan aturan; sedangkan penguasa yang tidak memiliki kualitas macam ini tentu tak akan dipatuhi, meskipun ia banyak membuat aturan". -Confusius (lirik anggota DPR)

[Trilce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una superficialità che ci lascia infreddoliti però che potrebbe accennare qualche segno di stima verso il tema in questione. Ovviamente è come leggere il commento di una recensione, quindi, forse non è errata come visione nel complesso, però per chi non conosce Confucio, non lascia nemmeno un pregiudizio attendibile. Parliamo comunque di una dottrina umanista e materialista che si propone come forma di filosofia trasmessa attraverso il metodo pratico e cosciente, quindi le differenze e gli eventuali errori sarebbero facoltativi al proprio talento o capacità nel riconoscere l'importanza dell'efficacia interpretativa in questo arruolamento. Questa lettura lascia piuttosto delle domande tra parentesi, perché non c'è un vero e proprio risultato che possa trasparire da uno studio approfondito. Comunque questa scelta di obbedire a un modello, è una qualità di un essere superiore o l'annullamento per mancanza di un proprio schema qui individualità lo porterebbe a prescindere delle ordini? L'uomo, per diritto, dovrebbe preoccuparsi della povertà o solo per rettitudine essere provvisto di questa spensieratezza? Ricevere la stessa educazione, cancella le differenze, provocando un'uguaglianza di ordine e ricchezza con lo stesso tipo di umanità scambiando questo modello per la propria natura, gli stessi principi con sfumature della stessa monotonia monocromatica? Niente questo libro è un biscottino confucioniano.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book today at work. Although not an in-depth study of Confucius, it does hit on the main points. Religion is seen as superstitious, but ritual can be a good thing. Confucius saw the do unto others philosophy many years before it turns up in the West. His thinking was to do good simply for the sake of doing good. The whole reward or eternal punishment idea is noticeably absent in his philosophy. Education, working for the benefit of all, setting the moral example were cornerstones of his teachings. In his real life, Confucius practiced what he preached, although this is the cause of his long streak of unemployment. On the positive side, he was honest and accepted no bribes. This book is not the complete teachings by any means. Women's rights and roles are simply noted as Confucius being politically conservative. This will be enough for the reader to get a foothold if he or she wants to further their studies.

[Wendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can only read one thing about Confucius, it should *not* be this. But if you are going to go on to read more and just want something to help you acclimate to philosophical, historical, and culture temperature, this is a friendly, witty, light, at times, smart alec-y, primer to Confucius and his place in the world. I can appreciate the occasional smart alec wisecracks, apparently being in my second childhood (if I ever totally left the first).
Flaws:
Occasionally repetitive.
The long timeline read at the end isn't that useful in an audio book.
Author isn't too strong on Christianity IMO, but there really isn't time for depth in a short work like this, and as a Christian, I am admittedly biased.

[Julio R. Ra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the best books in the series, yet informative enough. The ideas of Confucius are not discussed in depth, although his biography gives us an understanding of who he was. Much like other philosophers discussed in the series, Confucius seems to have achieved a status worth of ridicule by Strathern. For this reason, this work lost my interest. At the same time, it is important to see that these idols of intellectual prowess are sometimes just idiots in regular life. Strathern is fierce in making us understand that a brilliant mind could be the result of a brilliant moment and not a brilliant life.

[counter-hegemonicon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dull, but most of these ancient edicts and metaphysical straw-grasping are going to diminish the vitality of any modern skeptic. However the author’s shortcomings lie in his inability to contend with the inherent domination/repression of Confucianism. To call Confucianism more Chinese than China is Confucian is to reduce the country to Han hegemony and ignore the suppression of other ethnic groups and social structures. Simply it’s a pretty convenient philosophy for a patriarchal empire, complete with a “Bible” and an incentive structure for anyone who follows it; and shunning/damnation for those who don’t, hence its longevity

[Gebo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the other books in this series, highly opinionated and has random jabs at communism that are mostly out of place and irrelevant. This one was rather entertaining, likely because Confucius led a very interesting life. Has little in the way of his philosophy, but more than most of the books in this series. If you've never read much about or by Confucius, you might find this enjoyable; however, make sure to check out another book or two immediately afterwards or your positions will likely be rather biased.

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting summary of Confucius and his life and work and highlights of his philosophy and how it remains today in society and thought. I wanted to learn more about him and his philosophy and this was a great start. Includes quotes and possible translations for some of the more famous quotes/ideas, so there were some fascinating comparisons. It’s brief so of course there isn’t everything, but this was a great summary/crash course to get a handle on the general historical and cultural significance of his work.

[Atanas Nikolov · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have an amazing idea! How about, instead of telling me what to think about a philosophy or religion, you tell me what it says and let me decide? I know, that would be groundbreaking, right? I mean, I bet it must be hard to hold your opinion back while writing, but I figured it would make for a better book.

Now, why the 2 stars? Well, it deserves about 0, but it had some semblance of history, and a bit more of a charitable take this time around, so there's that. Too low of a bar. Oh.. okay, I am giving it one star ultimately.

[Theo Milos · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When I was 30 I began my life. At 40 I was self-assured. At 50 I understood my place in the vast scheme of things. At 60 I learned to give up arguing. And now at 70 I can do whatever I like.". There are five things you should put into practice: respectfulness (he shall not be treated with insults), tolerance (he shall win over the multi-altitude), trustworthiness (he shall be trusted by others), diligence (he shall achieve results, and be good enough to be put in command of other men), and generosity (he shall give to others and not accept bribes). This is a part of education, one has to be taught this rather than learning it from experience. People who manage to do this are superior to others, and part of the ruling class, according to Confucius. Superior men always take on their tasks, regardless of their difficulty or size. The superior man takes care of his appearance and dresses in the proper manner. He treats others with respect, hence people have great regard for him. In this way, he inspires respect without being cruel.

The four evils are: to put a man to death because he failed in his task when he was not given the proper instructions, to expect a man to do something without the proper advice, to insist a man rush through his task when he has been told to do perform it thoroughly and to promise a reward and then grudge giving it.

"You don't even understand life how can you understand life?" Confucius believed in the moral-belfies, everyone is supposed to improve themselves and become better human beings, and this is the only thing you can pursue in life. Purse good for its own sake, do not think about the consequences or the punishment. We should aim to be without worry and without fear. Take life as it comes.

Confucius has been a major influence, especially in China. He was quite poor when he lived and married young at 18. They got a boy but he did not become the one Confucius had hoped for. Confucius's career started at 60. Confuciusism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism existed during the same time and have all affected philosophy.

[Evangeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief overview of the life and philosophy of Confucius. I listened to this on AudioBookCloud and found it quite interesting. If you want just the highlights to Confucianism, then this is a good book to do just that. If you are interested in Chinese philosophy, this is a good place to start. The reader was engaging and easy to listen to. Just like the title suggests, you can get through it in about an hour and a half.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the series on philosophers in 90 minutes; not one of the best nor the worst. Confucius makes much more sense in the context of contemporary Chinese culture, and the interesting part is not so much the philosophy itself but how it's affected Chinese culture ever sense (not just in China, but in all the Chinese-diaspora countries, and in combination with Taoism and Buddhism and Nationalism and Communism and Capitalism (and possibly tech/etc. as a modern thing distinct from any of those).

[Trey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had more to do with Chinese philosophy and other random figures in history that it did Confucius. Even the timeline of his life according to the author spans hundreds of years and has almost nothing to do with him. the author clearly didn't do any research and knew very little about Confucius. For anyone looking for accurate and detailed information, this is a waist of time.

[Mikey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3️⃣.2️⃣
.
.
.
Confucius is one of the great philosopher in all the time and I really wanted to know more about this fantastic guy,and also his thoughts and opinion ...
This was a short book but good one for reviewing the Confucius life
But for knowing him better there isn’t such a information that really matters!

[Kimberly Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I learned is that Confucius was very obsessed about how people dressed. He had very strict rules of how people should behave in public & it was very nonsensical & over the top. He also gave up a really good job because he couldn’t be the boss & in control, so he definitely had some pride issues. But, I like him more than Plato.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

子貢問曰：“有一言而可以終身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲、勿施於人。”
Zi Gong [a disciple] asked: "Is there any one word that could guide a person throughout life?"
The Master replied: "How about 'reciprocity'! Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."
Analects XV.24, tr. David Hinton