University · The Doctrine of the Mean

Author: Wang Yuan, translated and annotated by Xu Yanghong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Most chapters of the Liji were written by Confucius's disciples, second-generation disciples, or third-generation disciples, and were later compiled by Dai Sheng, a renowned scholar of Li studies in the Western Han Dynasty. The content is richer and broader, comprising a total of 49 chapters that cover aspects such as heaven, earth, spirits, social affairs, historical chronicles, natural phenomena, and institutional systems. In the Song Dynasty, the scholar Zhu Xi extracted Daxue and Zhongyong from the Liji and combined them with The Analects and Mencius to form the Four Books. As a result, some modern annotated and translated versions of the Liji do not include these two chapters. In this book, we have selected some of the more famous chapters for annotation and translation. To present a more complete picture of Confucian thought, Daxue and Zhongyong have also been included. We hope that readers will gain a deeper understanding of Confucian thought and its ideal social system through this book.