Understanding the Analects of Confucius

Peimin Ni is Professor of Philosophy at Grand Valley State University. His books include Moral Cultivation and Confucian Character: Engaging Joel J. Kupperman (coedited with Chenyang Li), also published by SUNY Press.

"To date, there are about forty complete English translations of the Analects. Any new translation that adds to the existing stack faces the challenge of presenting something new and interesting about the text while not sacrificing the faithfulness to the original … Understanding the Analects of Confucius accomplishes this feat impressively … Ni's translation is a valuable contribution to the field." — Reading Religion"Understanding the Analects of Confucius is an outstanding work of sinological scholarship." — Henry Rosemont Jr., author of A Reader's Companion to the Confucian Analects"Peimin Ni's translation of the Analects has many virtues that make it stand out as an exemplary version of this most important Chinese text. Ni has chosen to present the text as a living document, embedded in two thousand years of commentarial conversation over its meaning, with today's readers very much part of that ongoing conversation." — Stephen C. Angle, author of Contemporary Confucian Political Philosophy

• PrefaceConventionsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionHistorical BackgroundLife of ConfuciusConfucianism before and after ConfuciusThe Formation of the AnalectsEnglish Translations of the AnalectsThe Gongfu OrientationKey TermsRen仁— Human-heartednessXiao孝— Filial pietyDe德— Virtuosity, virtue, kindnessXing性— Human natureTian天— HeavenTianming天命— Mandate of heavenDao道— the WayMing命— DestinyYi义— Appropriateness / rightnessLi礼— Ritual propriety, ritualZhengming正名—  Rectification of namesWuwei 无为—  Action by non-actionHe和— HarmonyYue or Le乐— Music / joyWen文and Zhi质— Refined form and substanceQuan权—  DiscretionZheng政— GoverningShi士— Educated personJunzi君子— Exemplary personSheng圣— SageZhong忠— Wholehearted devotionShu恕— ReciprocityXin信— TrustworthinessZhi直— UprightnessXue学— Learning, studyingZhi知— Knowing, understanding, wisdomZhongyong中庸— Hitting the mark constantly论语    Lunyu—THE ANALECTS学而第一    Book 1 为政第二  Book 2八佾第三    Book 3里仁第四    Book 4公冶长第五    Book 5雍也第六  Book  6述而第七   Book 7泰伯第八  Book  8子罕第九   Book   9乡党第十   Book 10先进第十一   Book 11 颜渊第十二   Book  12子路第十三  Book  13宪问第十四   Book   14卫灵公第十五   Book  15季氏第十六   Book   16阳货第十七     Book  17微子第十八   Book  18子张第十九   Book  19尧曰第二十   Book   20NotesBibliographyIndex of Names and Terms in the AnalectsGeneral Index