"To quietly persevere in storing up what is learned, to continue studying without respite, to instruct others without growing weary--is this not me?"
--Confucius
Confucius is recognized as China's first and greatest teacher, and his ideas have been the fertile soil in which the Chinese cultural tradition has flourished. Now, here is a translation of the recorded thoughts and deeds that best remember Confucius--informed for the first time by the manuscript version found at Dingzhou in 1973, a partial text dating to 55 BCE and only made available to the scholarly world in 1997. The earliest Analects yet discovered, this work provides us with a new perspective on the central canonical text that has defined Chinese culture--and clearly illuminates the spirit and values of Confucius.
Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born in the ancient state of Lu into an era of unrelenting, escalating violence as seven of the strongest states in the proto-Chinese world warred for supremacy. The landscape was not only fierce politically but also intellectually. Although Confucius enjoyed great popularity as a teacher, and many of his students found their way into political office, he personally had little influence in Lu. And so he began to travel from state to state as an itinerant philosopher to persuade political leaders that his teachings were a formula for social and political success. Eventually, his philosophies came to dictate the standard of behavior for all of society--including the emperor himself.
Based on the latest research and complete with both Chinese and English texts, this revealing translation serves both as an excellent introduction to Confucian thought and as an authoritative addition to sophisticated debate.
安乐哲，1947年出生于加拿大多伦多，世界著名中西比较哲学家，国际知名汉学大师，山东省“儒学大家”， 孔子研究院特聘专家。曾任夏威夷大学哲学系教授，现任北京大学哲学系人文讲席教授，世界儒学文化研究联合会会长，国际儒学联合会副会长，尼山圣源书院顾问，北京中外文化交流研究基地顾问，北京外国语大学中华文化国际传播研究院外籍首席专家。
2013年因其对中国思想多年来的出色研究获得“孔子文化奖”。2016年，荣获第二届“会林文化奖”。2018年，荣获“文明之光·2018中国文化交流年度人物”；并荣获“北京大学燕园友谊奖”；2019年，荣获“杜威学术学会2019终身成就奖”；2021年，荣获“中国政府友谊奖”。安乐哲教授翻译了《论语》、《大学》、《中庸》、《道德经》、《孝经》、《淮南子》、《孙子兵法》等书而蜚声海内外，著有：《儒家角色伦理学》、《儒家角色伦理——...