Analects of Confucius

Creation of the Scripture

● The Analects was written and compiled within a century after Confucius’ death
(d. 473) Confucius’ first and second generation pupils.
● During Warring State Period (476 BC – 221 BC), the text was completed.
● Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), the book was widely known and transmitted
throughout China in a mostly complete form.
● Some scholars have proposed dates as late as 140 BC for the text’s compilation.
● Liu Xiang (Hang Dynasty Scholar) provided two versions of the Analects:
a. Lu Version (contains 20 Chapters)
b. Qi Version (contains 22 chapters)
● Each version had its own masters, scholars and transmitters but the Lu Version had more
passages.
● Emperor Jing of Han (157 – 141 BC) authored the third version of the scripture which
was entitled “The Old Text Version.” This version was hidden in a wall of the home then
believed to be Confucius when the home was in the process of being destroyed by King
Gong of Lu to expand the King’s Palace.
● This version has 21 chapters, which contains a partially-revised versions of Lu and Qi,
the two primary versions.
● It was named “The Old Text Version” because the writing system used was rare and old.
● Out of these three versions of the scripture, the Lu and Qi Versions remained superior
and was widely considered vital and relevant.
Confucian Analects
● Analects – Lun Yu in Chinese, which literally means “selected sayings.”
● Confucian Analects – can also be dubbed “Analects of Confucius,” is a collection of
sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his
contemporaries,
● Confucius - was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn
period. He was also traditionally credited with having authored the Five Classics.
During the late Song Dynasty, the importance of the Analects as a philosophy work was
raised above that of the older Five Classics, and it was recognized as one of the "Four Books".
The Analects has been one of the most widely-read and studied books in China for the last 2,000
years, and continues to have a substantial influence on Chinese and East Asian thought and
values today.
Confucius believed that the welfare of a country depended on the moral cultivation of its
people, beginning from the nation's leadership. He believed that individuals could begin to
cultivate an all-encompassing sense of virtue through ren, and that the most basic step to
cultivating ren was devotion to one's parents and older siblings.
Confucius taught that a ruler's sense of virtue was his primary prerequisite for leadership.
His primary goal in educating his students was to produce ethically well-cultivated men who
would carry themselves with gravity, speak correctly, and demonstrate consummate integrity in
all things.

The Content of Confucian

Analects
Confucius viewed himself as a "transmitter" of social and political traditions originating
in the early Zhou dynasty (c. 1000–800 BC), and claimed not to have originated anything, but
Confucius’ social and political ideals were not popular in his time. The only relevant work in his
living times was the Five Classics. The Analects became popular when he was already buried six
feet under.
The Analects were only limited to three distinct themes, namely: Social Philosophy, Political
Philosophy and Education.
Social Philosophy
Confucius' discussions on the nature of the supernatural indicate his belief that while
"spirits" should be respected, they are best kept at a distance. Instead, human beings should base
their values and social ideals on moral philosophy, tradition, and a natural love for others.
Confucius' social philosophy largely depended on the cultivation of ren by every individual in a
community.
Political Philosophy
Confucius' political beliefs were rooted in his belief that a good ruler would be self-
disciplined, would govern his subjects through education and by his own example, and would
seek to correct his subjects with love and concern rather than punishment and coercion. "If the
people be led by laws, and uniformity among them be sought by punishments, they will try to
escape punishment and have no sense of shame.

Education
 The importance of education and study is a fundamental theme of the Analects. For
Confucius, a good student respects and learns from the words and deeds of his teacher, and a
good teacher is someone older who is familiar with the ways of the past and the practices of
antiquity. Confucius emphasized the need to find balance between formal study and intuitive
self-reflection.

Notable Sayings and Lessons

1) Do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.

2) Men are born pretty much alike but through their habits they gradually grow
further and further apart from each other.

3) To know what you know and know what you don’t know is the characteristics of
one who knows.

4) When you see a good man try to emulate his example. And when you see bad man
search yourself for his faults.

5) To know what you know and know what you don’t know is the characteristics of
one who knows.

ADDITIONAL INFOS.
(Confucian Analects)
• This is mainly about The Analects of Confucius or simply, The Confucian Analects. This was
an anthology of quotations from Confucius himself and his disciples, including the important
events in his life, and descriptions of him. Most importantly, it contains Confucius' thoughts on
virtue, morality and ritual, which he felt and went hand in hand.

• It was after his life when the Analects began to be written.

• Warring State Period was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as
bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation.

• Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, established by the rebel leader Liu
Bang and ruled by the House of Liu.

• According to the Han dynasty scholar Liu Xiang, there were two versions of the Analects that
existed at the beginning of the Han dynasty: the first one was the "Lu version" and the other one
was the "Qi version". The Lu version contained twenty chapters, and the Qi version contained
twenty-two chapters, including two chapters that cannot found in the Lu version.

• Emperor Jing of Han was the sixth emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty dating from 157 to 141
BC. His reign saw the limiting of the power of the feudal kings/princes which resulted in the
Rebellion of the Seven States in 154 BC.

• In Chinese philology, the Old Text refers to some versions of the Analects discovered during
the Han Dynasty, written in archaic characters and supposedly produced before the burning of
the books, as opposed to the Modern Texts or New Texts in the new Chinese orthography.

• It was clearly stated here that the version that is widely-known today is a combination of the Lu
and Qi versions of the scripture.

• So basically, this analects are the mantra and sayings attributed to Confucius. This is
considered as an essential Chinese scripture because it had a lot of contributions not just in China
but also around the world.
• This analects were just passed through the word of mouth and was traditionally believed to
have been compiled and written by the followers and pupils of Confucius.

• The Four Books and Five Classics are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China.

• The Analects, or simply a collection of Confucius’s conversations and teachings, strongly

emphasizes the importance of morality for the betterment of oneself and the society in general.
The book lays out several teachings for both commoners and rulers to follow in the pursuit of
morality. While some of his teachings rely on idealism, others are very practical. The values of
Confucianism can easily be used as moral guidelines and it can also be applied in today’s world.

• Confucius highlighted the duties of a leader by explaining the proper way to think, act, and
make decisions in government positions. Qualities such as continual learning, frugality, humility,
confidence, commitment, and loyalty are all examples found within his teachings that provide a
framework for leadership.

• REN - means humanity or the qualities of being humane (pagpapakatao)

•Confucius began teaching after he turned 30, and taught more than 3,000 students in his life,
about 70 of whom were considered outstanding. His disciples and the early Confucian
community they formed became the most influential intellectual force in the Warring States
period.

• Confucius presented himself as a ‘transmitter who invented nothing’, because he believed he

was teaching the natural path to good behaviour passed down from older, divine masters.
Simply, this scripture was not written by him, but by his followers and students.

• Social philosophy is the study of questions about social behavior and interpretations of society
and social institutions in terms of ethical values rather than empirical relations. So, this
philosophy is mainly about the relation of a person to its society. It can also pertain to a person's
role and essence within the community.
• Political philosophy, also known as political theory, is the study of topics such as politics,
liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of laws by authority: what they are, if
they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should
protect, what form it should take, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate
government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever.

•Confucius revolutionized education by providing education to all. According to him, education

has no class distinction. Additionally, he believed in the equality and the ability of all people. He
viewed education as a means of transformation, the discovery of human nature, and the
cultivation of moral character.