The Analects
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Beginners hoping to understand Confucian thought and the roots of traditional culture systematically
- Adult readers who need the classics for self-cultivation and reflection on daily words and deeds
- Readers interested in pre-Qin aphoristic prose and the tradition of Chinese expression
- Parents and teachers hoping to read the classics with children for character education
Not a good fit for
- Readers who want only light stories and lack patience for short aphoristic passages
- Those entirely unfamiliar with classical Chinese and unwilling to consult annotations
- Readers expecting rigorous philosophical argument and a complete theoretical system at one go
Reading tips
- First read the annotations to understand words, names, and terms, then read through whole chapters; do not try to memorize line by line at the start.
- Excerpt passages by theme—benevolence, propriety, filial piety, learning—and write brief notes relating them to life situations.
- Read one or two passages a day and review your notes the following week, watching how the same concept changes across contexts.
- Read alongside a reliable annotated translation; when interpretations differ, note them first, then check the sources.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 目录
- 公版书总序
- 德侔天地，道贯古今——孔子
- 大道至简，至仁至圣——《论语》
- 正文
- 学而第一
- 为政第二
- 八佾第三
- 里仁第四
- 公冶长第五
- 雍也第六
- 述而第七
- 泰伯第八
- 子罕第九
- 乡党第十
- 先进第十一
- 颜渊第十二
- 子路第十三
- 宪问第十四
- 卫灵公第十五
- 季氏第十六
- 阳货第十七
- 微子第十八
- 子张第十九
- 尧曰第二十
- 如是我闻
- 一、古人对《论语》的评价
- 二、《论语》中涉及君子与小人对比的名句
- 三、中国古代十大教育家
- 四、《论语》名句
- 五、《论语》中的成语
- 六、《论语》中包含的史实
- 七、圣人无常师——孔子师郯子苌弘师襄老聃的故事
FAQ
Can I read The Analects without any foundation in classical Chinese?
Should The Analects be read straight through from beginning to end?
Do I need to know Confucius's biography before reading The Analects?
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About the author
"Confucius and His Disciples" is not a single author but a collective designation for the body of writings formed around Confucius's sayings and the records of his followers. The Analects was compiled by Confucius's disciples and their successors and records the questions and answers, words and deeds of Confucius and his students; its language is concise and restrained, mostly in the form of sayings, and it initiated a way of presenting thought through dialogue. The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean were originally chapters of the Book of Rites and later circulated separately; their style is orderly and they develop their arguments through progression and citation. Since the library holds no record of Confucius's dates, nationality, or the specific circumstances of his disciples, public information is limited, and no biographical account is attempted here. As works, these two books concentrate Confucian views on self-cultivation, learning, governance, and human ethics; they are brief yet dense in meaning and have long served as introductory classics for understanding Eastern philosophy, especially Confucianism, with a profound influence on later Chinese education, ethics, and political culture.
