Confucius: The Analects

Confucius is the one thinker most influential and instrumental in informing the Chinese tradition. The Analects, which is a record of the words and teachings of Confucius, is considered the most reliable source of Confucius’ teachings. However, as he was looked upon as the founder of the Confucius school, his thought tended to be approached through the eyes of the Confucianists of a later age, particularly the Neo-Confucianists of the Song dynasty. This inevitably results in distortion of the original meaning. In this monumental translation by Professor D. C. Lau, an attempt has been made to interpret the sayings as they stand. The corpus of the sayings is taken as an organic whole and the final test of the interpretation rests on the internal consistency it exhibits. In other words, The Analects is read in the light of The Analects. It is hoped that this gives a truer understanding of Confucius’ thought than the traditional interpretation and paves the way for a re-assessment of its importance in the history of Chinese thought and its relevance to the present day world. This volume also contains an introduction to the life and teachings of Confucius, and three appendices on the events in the life of Confucius, on his disciples, and on the composition of The Analects. Complete with both Chinese and English texts, this classic translation is an authoritative interpretation of Confucius’ thought. —Amazon.com