The Analects - The Beginning of Learning. Governing by Policy

Author: Wang Shiming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Humble without servility, wealthy without arrogance; courage lies in taking action for justice; harmony is the essence of propriety; value virtue over appearance! The Analects is a collection of discourses by Confucius and his students during teaching sessions. Some of the words are attributed to Confucius, while others are from his disciples. These students recorded these conversations. After Confucius's death, they compiled them into a book, which was first titled The Analects in the early years of the Han Dynasty. The title Learning the Analects for Governance is well-chosen. Compared to other titles such as annotations, commentaries, translated annotations, collected annotations, interpretive explanations, or authoritative expositions, this book's title appears more relaxed, free, and flexible. The author does not present himself as an expert annotating or explaining the Analects, but rather approaches them with humility, and Learning the Analects for Governance reflects his personal insights. These insights and reflections are largely the author's own views. In fact, from ancient times to the present, no annotator of the Analects has dared to claim that their annotations fully align with Confucius's original intent. The author shares his learning experiences with the broader readership for discussion. As the saying goes, "A stone from a foreign mountain can serve as a whetstone." Through mutual exchange and refinement, everyone's understanding can be elevated by a step.