Confucius is one of the great figures in the history of human thought, a pioneering educator, social critic, and political scientist. As a philosopher and teacher, he addressed core human issues with such precision and clarity that his sayings have been preserved and studied over thousands of years. The Analects of Confucius are a basic source for a wide range of advice on human affairs from governing nations and managing enterprises to dealing with society and getting along with others. This new presentation of the ever-popular sayings of Confucius is designed to bring the wisdom of a great teacher to another generation of readers. In his brilliant text, Thomas Cleary has arranged the sayings of Confucius in the order of the sixty-four classic I Ching hexagrams, which Confucius not only made available in their present form but also supplemented with his own written commentaries. Widely recognized for his linguistic and technical mastery in the translation of ancient Chinese texts, Tho
Chinese philosopher Confucius, originally Kong Fuzi and born circa 551 BC, promoted a system of social and political ethics, emphasizing order, moderation, and reciprocity between superiors and subordinates; after his death in 479 BC, disciples compiled the Analects, which contains a collection of his sayings and dialogues.
Teachings of this social thinker deeply influenced Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese life.