Confucius is one of our very best thinkers, a model for living a self-aware and virtuous life. "The Complete Confucius: The Analects, The Doctrine Of The Mean, and The Great Learning," brings together the most important Confucian texts with an introduction by Nicholas Tamblyn, and is part of The Essential Series by Golding Books. Confucius lived from 551-479 BC. The principles he espoused largely reflected the values and traditions in China at the time. Rather than create a formal theory, Confucius desired that his disciples study, learning and mastering the classic older texts, and affirmed that the superior person seeks and loves learning for the sake of learning, and righteousness for the sake of righteousness. Confucianism is the cornerstone of Eastern philosophy and religion (and, similarly, Chinese and Asian philosophy and their subsequent vital influence on Western philosophy). It is a key part of religious studies and in developing an understanding of classical philosophy and its impact on modern philosophy. The sayings of Confucius (and discussions with his disciples) provide wisdom for those exploring religion and philosophy, but also in related areas such as spirituality, meditation, politics, and one's personal and public duties in society. A NOTE ON THE ANALECTS.--The Analects are a compilation of speeches by and conversations between Confucius and his disciples. Believed to have been written during China's Warring States period (475 BC-221 BC), and then finalized during the mid-Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), it is a collection of sayings and ideas that have a foremost position in the history and study of philosophy across the world. A NOTE ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE MEAN.--From The Book of Rites, this chapter known as The Doctrine of the Mean is attributed to Confucius' only grandson, Zisi (also known as Kong Ji). Its purpose is to show how the golden way is the means to gain perfect virtue, and that following the heavenly instructions of the Way will lead to the virtuous path trodden by others before, including Confucius. The phrase "doctrine of the mean" ("zhong yong") first occurs in Chapter 6 of The Analects; its definition is not expanded on there, but Zisi's text seeks to examine its meaning in greater detail. A NOTE ON THE GREAT LEARNING.--Also one chapter in The Book of Rites, this writing is attributed to Confucius. In that book, his writing is accompanied by nine commentary chapters by his disciple Zeng Zi. The Great Learning explores, in beautiful and scriptural-sounding language, the linked themes of self-cultivation, enquiry and examination, and their impacts upon leadership and government. Each of the texts in this book--with Mencius, the collected conversations of that scholar with various kings--together comprise the four of the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism written in China before 300 BC.
Confucius with the best commentary and translation.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
The only problem is that the text may be hard to follow smoothly since small amounts of translation are possible on each second page due to the commentary and original characters. But the translation is the best, and the commentary is superb. I highly recommend it!
Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Has Chinese Language, Chinese Classics,complete dictionary of all the Chinese Characters, tremendous help in learning chinese and thoughts of K'ung (Confucious). A true collectible for me.
Excellent for Classical Chinese students
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I purchased this book in an effort to begin learning Classical Chinese and to gain a greater understanding of the Analects. Not only is Legge's translation accurate and concise, but extremely faithful to the original text. Lexicon in the back is easy to use, even for a beginner. The combination of original Chinese text and English translation on each page is a wonderful help and makes parsing through a dense classical work much easier, as the constructions become more transparent. Highly recommended in every way!
Essential if you are serious about Confucius
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
The other reviews on this page are quite insightful; I have a few more comments:1. Modern readers tend not to be enamored of Legge's prose, but it has its own coherence and merit. What is most remarkable, however, is the accuracy of his translations, in view of their date. You may not agree with his views and interpretations; you may not like his phraseology; but he simply does not make mistakes. His translations are supported by copious (if dense) footnotes that explain the rationale behind his translating decisions. (To be sure, these notes are intended for highly informed readers.) You can never say that Legge is wrong; you can say that you prefer to read the text a different way.2. A point that no one seems to have made: one advantage of this edition is that it is one of the few available in the West with the complete Chinese text.In sum: this is a reasonably priced paperback that includes the original Chinese text and the first great Western translation of the Analects. If you are serious about Confucius, you cannot ignore this book.
the best single translation and commentary on subject
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I have read the entire book for a doctoral research project. There simply is no other Author that even comes close to offering such execellent commentary on the confucian classics. He references many of the ancient and more recent Chinese commentators in his footnotes. Very comprehensive. He gives you both the Chinese original and then the English translation with the commentary translated into English. If you want to better understand the Chinese and where they come from, Legges translations of the Chinese classics is a must.Ray
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