The life of Confucius (551 - 479 BC) overlaps the life of Greek playwright Aeschylus (525 - 455 BC). Confucius makes it clear that he is a transmitter, not an originator. He’s transmitting wisdom from the past, specifically from an ancient era of perfect rulers. The Analects is a set of collected sayings of Confucius compiled by his disciples.
I was expecting a religious text but this read more like wisdom literature. The focus was on the rites and rituals that provide a path to moral virtue. The goal was to become a gentleman worthy of a life of politics. Confucius pursued (and pushed) a love of learning, speaking only when necessary, and leading by example.
In this podcast episode, I cover ten themes found in The Analects and share the One Thing I’m still thinking about having read the statements of this greatest of Chinese teachers.
I read the following versions / translations of The Analects:
* Arthur Waley Translation (1938) / Everyman’s Library
* Annping Chin Translation (2014) / Penguin Classics