The Wisdom of Confucius

Learning, family duties and public service meet in this collection of sayings and conversations attributed to Confucius. William Jennings supplies the English translation, and Epiphanius Wilson contributes introductory sketches. The contents arrange the teachings around good government, friendship, ceremony, personal conduct and the responsibilities of a thoughtful person. The volume also includes selections from Mencius and the Shi-King, extending its range from philosophical discussion to Chinese odes.

Short exchanges place moral choices in everyday settings. In one passage, a disciple asks two men working the land for directions, prompting a dispute about withdrawal from public life. Elsewhere, an older labourer gives a travelling disciple food and shelter. These encounters turn questions of duty, hospitality and reform into conversations between people with different priorities. Readers interested in Chinese ethics can examine both the teachings and the way this English edition introduces and arranges them.