The Doctrine of the Mean

AnonymousNanhai Publication Company · ChinaDec 2020

4.5

Word count: 4.6K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

"The Doctrine of the Mean" is a prose work discussing Confucian self-cultivation of human nature. It was originally the thirty-first chapter of the Book of Rites, traditionally attributed to Zisi, and is an important ancient Chinese treatise discussing educational theory.

Editor's review

"The Doctrine of the Mean" was originally a chapter of the Book of Rites, traditionally attributed to Zisi, and later became one of the Confucian classics. The whole text revolves around the way of the mean, discussing the origin of human nature, the effort of self-cultivation, and the realm of utmost sincerity; it puts forward propositions such as "what Heaven decrees is called nature, following nature is called the Way," and also touches on educational theory and principles of conduct. Its language is concise while its argumentation is dense, containing both a metaphysical view of Heaven's Way and self-cultivation methods that can be put into daily practice; it is an important entry point for understanding Confucian learning of mind and nature. When reading, note that it is not an isolated collection of aphorisms but has an argumentative thread from following nature and cultivating the Way to attaining centrality and harmony. For modern readers, it offers classical approaches to sense of proportion, emotional regulation, and sincere self-establishment in the world, but annotations and context are needed to avoid taking passages out of context. It is suited to slow reading and repeated savoring, in conjunction with the Great Learning and the Analects.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Chinese readers who want to systematically understand Confucian learning of mind-and-nature cultivation
Educators who need the text of the Doctrine of the Mean for classics recitation or teaching
General readers interested in traditional wisdom of conduct and emotional proportion

Not a good fit for

Casual readers seeking light stories or immediate practical techniques
Beginners with no foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotations
Readers expecting strictly modern academic-paper-style argumentation

Reading tips

Read through the unannotated text once, mark difficult places, then read closely paragraph by paragraph with reliable annotations.
Take reading notes around key terms such as "nature, Way, teaching," "centrality and harmony," and "sincerity" to link the whole text.
Read only a small passage each time and write two or three sentences of reflection connected to your own experience, avoiding excessive quantity.
Read it alongside the Great Learning and compare the similarities and differences in their paths of self-cultivation.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
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FAQ

Was the Doctrine of the Mean really written by Zisi?

Tradition attributes it to Zisi, but modern scholarship holds different views on its composition, generally believing it was compiled and expanded by later disciples. When reading, focus on the text itself while also being aware of this authorship controversy.

Can I read the Doctrine of the Mean without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes, but you need a reliable edition with annotations and translation, first understanding the words and sentences and then appreciating the principles. It is advisable to start with short passages and not insist on reading the whole text in one go.

What is the relationship between the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning?

Both originally belonged to the Book of Rites and were later honored by Song Confucians, being grouped with the Analects and Mencius as the Four Books. The Great Learning emphasizes the sequence of self-cultivation, while the Doctrine of the Mean emphasizes mind-and-nature and Heaven's Way; they can be read with reference to each other.

What use does reading the Doctrine of the Mean have for modern life?

It discusses proportion, emotional harmony, and the way of sincere self-establishment, which can help readers reflect on their standards of conduct and self-cultivation. But it should be understood in light of the modern context and not mechanically applied.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.