Ancient Subtleties of Confucian Learning

Name: Ancient Subtleties of Confucian Learning
ISBN: 9787208174955

徐梵澄 / 李文彬 / 孙波Shanghai People's Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.4

Word count: 126K words
Chapters: 23
ISBN: 9787208174955

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Summary

“It is commonly assumed that Confucianism is secular in nature, or that it amounts to nothing more than a body of strict moral admonitions or dry philosophical principles. The truth is quite the opposite: Confucianism is profoundly spiritual at its core, possessing heights that are hard to surpass and depths that cannot be measured, with the most subtle and refined dimensions and even an all-pervading wholeness.” Mr. Xu Fancheng was a renowned spiritual philosopher, translator, and Indologist in modern and contemporary China, hailed as the “modern Xuanzang” and “a master of a generation who left only his back to us.” After the victory of the War of Resistance in 1945, he joined the Sino-Indian cultural exchange program and went to teach at Rabindranath Tagore’s International University in India; in 1951 he entered the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in South India, serving as director of its Chinese department. The 1960s were Mr. Xu’s period of promoting the essence of traditional Chinese scholarship; he wrote The Ancient Confucianism in English, published in 1966 by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram with the aim of introducing the essence of Confucius and Confucian thought to Western readers; it was later included in Volume III of The Collected Works of Xu Fancheng, published in 2006 by Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore; in 2015 it was translated into Chinese by Mr. Li Wenbin and published as a standalone volume, and was named one of the “China Books of the Year.” Through the method of “interpreting the classics by the classics,” the book comprehensively reviews the life of Confucius, the great principles of Confucianism, the learning of the Six Arts, and such themes as Yan, Zeng, Si, and Meng, striving to restore the refinement, flexibility, and wholeness of Confucian learning. Horizontally, it compares and harmonizes multiple civilizations to promote the essence of Chinese thought; vertically, it elevates the individual’s spiritual dimension and draws on the healing of life’s hardships. Regarding “ren,” Mr. Xu proposes: “ren” is “sacred love.”

Editor's review

The Ancient Confucianism is a penetrating yet accessible scholarly work from Mr. Xu Fancheng’s later years, and its value goes far beyond a survey of Confucius’s thought. Mr. Xu was learned in both Chinese and Western scholarship: he studied under Lu Xun in his early years, later studied philosophy and art in Germany, and in his late years devoted himself to Indian spiritual philosophy. This unique scholarly background enabled him to examine Confucianism from the broad perspective of world civilizations. The book is not a simple commentary on the classics but an attempt to reveal the spiritual core of Confucius’s teachings that transcends its age and possesses enduring value. Mr. Xu places Confucius within the civilizational dialogue of the Axial Age and, through comparison with ancient Greek philosophy and Indian thought, highlights the universality of “ren” in Confucian thought. His interpretations of such core concepts as “junzi,” “li,” and “yue” respect traditional commentary while integrating modern humanistic concern, displaying the lively vitality of Confucianism as a learning of life. For contemporary readers, the book offers a rare opportunity to rediscover the depth and breadth of Confucius’s thought through the eyes of a sage who understood many civilizational traditions. Reading this book is not only to learn about Confucianism but to undergo a spiritual dialogue spanning past and present, East and West.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exploring the origins of Confucian thought and its modern significance
Those who wish to go beyond textbook interpretations and understand Confucius from a comparative civilizational perspective
Readers who appreciate scholars explaining profound philosophy in plain language
Thinkers concerned with how traditional Chinese culture can engage in dialogue with other world civilizations

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a quick introduction or fast-food overview of Chinese studies
Professional researchers expecting strict textual criticism or purely philological annotation

Reading tips

It is recommended to first read the whole book to grasp the author’s overall perspective, then read chapters of interest closely
Readers may combine the reading with a basic understanding of ancient Greek philosophy or Indian thought to better appreciate the comparative perspective
The book involves many traditional concepts; keep a copy of the Analects at hand for reference

About the publisher

Shanghai People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Shanghai People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list focuses on academic monographs and general-interest titles in philosophy, social sciences, politics and law, economics and management, and history. Among its books are Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties History in the Chinese Dynastic History series; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in foreign literature; the Wenjing Classical Translation Illustrated Edition of The Complete Greek Tragedies of Euripides; and works of social theory such as Max Weber's Economy and Society and Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Its authors include Wang Zhongluo, J.R.R. Tolkien, Luo Niansheng, and Zhou Zuoren.

版权信息
主编的话
序
第一章孔子生平
第二章孔子生平（续）
第三章周游列国
第四章儒学大义
第五章儒学大义（续）
第六章六艺
第七章《诗》《礼》《乐》
第八章《尚书》《春秋》
第九章《易经》
第十章《易经》（续）
第十一章夫子赞
第十二章颜子和曾子
第十三章子思
第十四章孟子
第十五章孟子（续）
末章
附录一周子《通书》
附录二《易大传》——新儒家之入门
初版译者后记
再版译者赘言

FAQ

How is this book different from common books interpreting the Analects?

This book does not interpret the Analects chapter by chapter; rather, it grasps the core spirit of Confucius’s thought as a whole and examines it against the background of world philosophy, focusing on revealing its universal value beyond its age.

Can readers without a philosophy background understand it?

Mr. Xu Fancheng’s style is elegant and plain, and he is skilled at explaining profound ideas with metaphors and everyday language. As long as readers have a basic interest in traditional culture, patient reading will allow them to grasp its essentials; no professional philosophy background is required.

What is the background of this book?

This book is a work Mr. Xu Fancheng wrote in English in his later years (the 1960s) to introduce Confucius’s thought to Western readers. The Chinese version was translated and revised by the author himself, so it has the dual character of explaining to the West and returning to modern Chinese readers.

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About the author

徐梵澄 Author

Xu Fancheng is an author about whom comparatively limited public information is available; no reliable records of his birthplace, dates of birth and death, or educational background can be confirmed, so his writing can only be understood through the works he left behind. Four of his works are included here: Kongxue Guwei, Classical Recollections: Essays by Xu Fancheng, The Essence of Consciousness-Only, and The Essence of Philology. These titles span philosophy, essays and miscellaneous writings, and language and philology. They suggest an author who moves with ease between classical scholarship and philosophical thought, attending both to the teachings of Confucius and to Consciousness-Only doctrine while also caring about philological study. His tone tends toward relaxed, essayistic discussion in the manner of a scholar's essays. Rather than aiming at popular exposition, he seeks to re-examine and reinterpret classical texts, making his work rewarding for readers interested in traditional thought and the study of language.

李文彬 Author

Li Wenbin: publicly available information is limited. The only confirmed Chinese work by this author is Kong Xue Gu Wei (A Brief Study of Confucian Learning), a book generally classified as a philosophical reading. Judging from the title and category, the writing centers on Confucius and Confucian thought, with emphasis on sorting out and explaining the classical doctrines, combining popularization with interpretation. Because reliable records of the author's life, academic background, and the circumstances of the book's composition are unavailable, it is difficult to describe the author's research trajectory or intellectual lineage in detail, and excessive inference about academic standing should be avoided. On the basis of the available information, the work offers general readers a concise introduction to Confucian learning and may serve as an introductory reference for approaching Confucian thought; its specific views, selection of historical sources, and style of argument still await readers' own examination in light of the original text.

孙波 Author

Sun Bo's public information is limited; his research and writing span several fields, including philosophy, language and writing, and management and finance. Ten of his works are held in the collection, ranging from readings that organize and interpret traditional scholarship and Buddhist thought, such as Kong Xue Gu Wei, Xiaoxue Jinghua, and Weishi Jinghua, to works on corporate change such as Chaos and Order I: The Way for Enterprises to Lead in an Era of Change. In management, he has written steadily on human resources and performance management, covering recruitment, compensation, performance improvement, and consulting practice, and has also published these writings in multi-volume collections. Overall, his writing combines close reading of traditional classics with the practicalities of modern organizational management, addressing philosophy readers, language enthusiasts, and business managers, with considerable range across subjects.