Analects

Confucius (551-479 BCE) was a philosopher, political figure, educator and founder of one of the major schools of thought in Chinese history. His teachings, preserved in the Analects, form the foundation of much of subsequent Chinese beliefs about how an individual should live his life and how an ideal society and government are organized.Annping Chin is a senior lecturer of history at Yale and the author of several books about Chinese history including an acclaimed biography of Confucius, The Authentic Confucius: A Life of Thought and Politics. She has also co-authored, with Jonathan Spence, The Chinese Century: A Photographic History of the Last Hundred Years.

“For more than two millennia, the teachings of Confucius have served as a guide for a substantial portion of humanity. English-language readers seeking to understand this remarkable body of thought are fortunate to have Annping Chin’s highly readable and judiciously annotated edition of The Analects.” —Henry A. Kissinger“An astonishingly lucid exposition of The Analects. A kind of serene insight pervades the commentaries.” —Harold Bloom“An incomparable new volume that combines a fresh and sympathetic translation with a wonderfully readable annotation. It is a joy to use and will unlock a whole new level of meaning for English-language readers.” —Orville Schell, Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations and co-author of Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-First Century