Confucius Analects (論語)

Confucius (also known as Kong Qiu, 孔丘, and Kong Zhong Ni, 孔仲尼, 551 - 479 BC) was a prominent, if not the most influential, philosopher of China. His teachings have been fundamental to the Chinese civilization and culture for over two and half millennia. The Analects was written and compiled by Confucius’ disciples after his death. It documented his conversations with his disciples and other relevant characters, and the dialogues among his disciples. These conversations highlighted key doctrines of Confucianism which cover a wide range of topics on education, self-cultivation, morality, ethics, society, social norms, government, law and order, politics, public service careers, music, poetry and so on. Many salient teachings of the Analects are still applicable today. Different from many translations, this new translation has deployed plain and colloquial English, simple writing style, and modern context to facilitate comprehension by common readers. This translation has also preserved accurately the ideas and tone of the original text. Annotations are added to further explain the background history, circumstances and the characters involved in the conversations documented in the Analects. This book will provide the reader many hours of enjoyable reading and inspirations for his or her self-cultivation.