JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato
LIT 122 Reading Assignment: Literature of China (Representative Text)
The Analects of Confucius
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) was born a couple of centuries before Socrates’
teachings on ethics and logic, and half a millennium before the start of our modern
calendar and the birth of Jesus of Nazareth (Chung, 1948/1996). He established a
school with the explicit purpose of educating the next generation for political leadership
(Chung). He was the first great thinker of the independent intellectual class, and is
regarded as China’s first self-conscious philosopher who can be historically verified. He
is further recognized as China’s first teacher, and his ideas have traveled beyond its
borders to influence Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and now Western civilizations (Dhakhwa
and Enriquez, 2008).
The primary surviving source for the teachings of Confucius is the Lun Yü: The
Analects, or more literally, “The Selected Sayings” (Hinton, 1998, as cited in Dhakhwa
and Enriquez, 2008). It is a collage of brief aphoristic fragments, appropriately earning
its name from the Greek alalekta, with the root meaning, “leftovers after a feast”. The
first fifteen discourses were assembled and edited by a congress of Confucius’ disciples
shortly after his death. They apparently felt that his Way – what he said and did- should
be preserved for future generations. The text was a personal narrative of what he had to
say, to whom he said it, and how he said it. The last five books of The Analects appear
to have been compiled later, after the most prominent disciples of Confucius had
launched their own teaching careers. The disciples primarily elaborated upon the
philosophy of their late master (Dhakhwa and Enriquez, 2008).
An award-winning translator of ancient Chinese texts, David Hinton, noted that the
Analects has had a deeper impact on more people’s lives over a longer period of time
than any other book in human history. It has a unique style that represents the
fundamental body of thought that has shaped Chinese civilization.
Note: The Chinese title, Lun Yu , means “collated conversations”
General Theme of The Analects
Running through the teachings of Confucius is this theme: A man should lead an
upright life, educate himself, and contribute to the betterment of society. The
superior man, he says, respects elders, cultivates the friendship of good people,
presides over his subordinates with a fair and even hand, continually educates himself,
overflows with love for fellow human beings, and in general sets a good example for
others to follow.
1 | LIT 122
JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato
Characters in The Analects
Although this is not clear on initial reading, the ideas of the Analects are importantly
influenced by the literary character of the text, and the fact that it is presented chiefly as
conversational interplay among a relatively limited cast of characters: Confucius, his
disciples, and a group of power holders with whom Confucius interacts.
In the excerpts below, the characters mentioned are Confucius (the Master), Tsze-
kung (one of the Master's best-known followers), and Tsze-chang/ Zizhang (a follower
interested in an official career) (Analects Study Guide, n.d.).
Excerpts from the Analects of Confucius
1. The Master said, "If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the
evening without regret" (Book 4, Chapter 8).
2. The Master said, "Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is
at hand" (Book 7, Chapter 29).
3. When a country is well-governed, poverty and a mean condition are things to be
ashamed of. When a country is ill-governed, riches and honour are things to be
ashamed of" (Book 8, Chapter 13).
4. Tsze-kung asked, saying, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of
practice for all one's life?' The Master said, "Is not RECIPROCITY such a word?
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others" (Book 15, Chapter
23).
5. The Master said, "Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible
to be a superior man.
6. The Master said, "Man is born for uprightness. If a man loses his uprightness,
and yet live, his escape from death is the effect of mere good fortune" (Book 6,
Chapter 17).
7. The Master said, "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be
essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in
humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man" (Book 15,
Chapter 17).
8. Tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to be everywhere
appreciated.
The Master said, "Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions
honourable and careful;– such conduct may be practiced among the rude tribes
of the South or the North. If his words be not sincere and truthful and his actions
not honourable and careful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even in
his neighborhood? (Book 15, Chapter 5).
When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them (Book 1, Chapter 8, Number
4).
2 | LIT 122
JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato
9. The Master said, "Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is
at hand" (Book 7, Chapter 29).
10. The Master said, "The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his
actions" (Book 14, Chapter 29).
11. The Master said, "The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not
distressed by men's not knowing him" (Book 15, Chapter 18).
12. The Master said, "If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find
sorrow near at hand" (Book 15, Chapter 11).
13. The Master said, "A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful
to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all,
and cultivate the friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after
the performance of these things, he should employ them in polite studies" (Book I,
Chapter 6).
14. Zi Zhang asked Confucius about humanity. Confucius said: “To be able to
practice five virtues everywhere in the world constitutes humanity." Zi Zhang
begged to know what these were. Confucius said: “Courtesy, magnanimity, good
faith, diligence, and kindness. He who is courteous is not humiliated, he who is
magnanimous wins the multitude, he who is of good faith is trusted by the people,
he who is diligent attains his objective, and he who is kind can get service from
the people" (Book 17, Chapter 6).
15. The Master said, "Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without
learning is perilous" (Book 2, Chapter 15).
Note: The fourth precept is similar to the golden rule of the Christian Bible, as
enunciated in the Sermon on the Mount and reported by Matthew (Chapter 7, Verse 12:
All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to
them) and Luke (Chapter 6, Verse 31: And as you would that men should do to you, do
you also to them in like manner).
Bibliography
Analects Study Guide (n.d.). Retrieved December 31, 2020 from
[Link]
Ancient Asian Literature & Poetry. (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2020 from
[Link]
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