What are the 5 Analects of Confucius?

Preview — The Analects by Confucius

  • “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
  • “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”
  • “To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.”
  • “Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.”
  • “The noble-minded are calm and steady.

What is the Analects mainly about?

Lesson Summary These books together are called The Analects of Confucius or simply, The Analects, and were an anthology of quotes from Confucius and his disciples, important events in his life, and descriptions of him. They also contained many comments on governance and political figures of the day.

What is the meaning of Analects of Confucius?

Compiled by disciples of Confucius in the centuries following his death in 479 B.C.E., The Analects of Confucius is a collection of aphorisms and historical anecdotes embodying the basic values of the Confucian tradition: learning, morality, ritual decorum, and filial piety.

How many Analects are there?

There are 20 books in the Analects, or “selected sayings” of Master Kong. In reading along, we imagine Master Kong (“Confucius” or “Kongzi”) reciting his wisdom, while his followers diligently listen and compile his teachings.

What is the moral lesson of the Analects of Confucius?

One of the most important morals that Confucius teaches is filial piety. He states that “[a] young man should be filial within his home and respectful of elders when outside” (1.6). According to Confucius, being filial is more than simply taking care of ones parents.

What do the Analects teach?

The Analects, a collection of Confucius’s conversations and teachings, strongly emphasizes the importance of morality for the betterment of oneself and society in general. The book lays out several teachings for both commoners and rulers to follow in the pursuit of morality.

Why was Analects written?

According to Ban Gu, writing in the Book of Han, the Analects originated as individual records kept by Confucius’s disciples of conversations between the Master and them, which were then collected and jointly edited by the disciples after Confucius’s death in 479 BC.

Why was The Analects written?

One of the primary purposes of the Analects, then, was to serve as a text that would provide Confucius’s followers with a more detailed understanding of etiquette and proper behavior. The Analects were written in part as a response to the political turmoil and corrupt governments of the day.

Who created the Analects of Confucius?

Disciples of Confucius
Analects

A page from the Analects
Author Disciples of Confucius
Language Classical Chinese