Customer Reviews (6)

Where Is The Wisdom?
I bought this book thinking I'd get a huge list of all of the wisdom of Confucius.But that was the least of what I got. I'm sure there is some wisdome in this book somewhere but the conversation and wording is terrible. It took me 10 minutes read a page, and read again, because I truly had no idea what was going on. Every once in a while, you will come across a straightforward statement that really means something. I'm thinking that this translation does a direct translation to English and it just doesn't fit together well.

I think it may be my own intelligence that keeps me from following the wording of this book. Nothing sticks out as great wisdom to me. There is a section that has poems, which are really good, but they don't show me great wisdom. I believe that this book is only for advanced readers.

Excellent book on the "wisdom" of Confucius
This is a very good book on the "wisdom" of Confucius, but not the word-by-word translation of the original Confucius text. Some readers maybe misunderstood in the first place when they read this book. Chinese philosophy is sometimes hard to be really understood at first because it's very deep and profound. Wisdom is not a practical skill that people can learn or master quickly, but something can only be gradually experienced and understood over time.

A "One Book" Survey of Confucius
I found this book readable and surprisingly useful. True, the Analects arenot complete but have been excerpted. The book cannot present more than asampling of Confucius' writings for obvious limitations of space.Meritsof the book include its readability, with a long, discursive essay and sometranslations provided by the celebrated scholar Lin Yutang.The book alsocontains a famous Chinese biography of Confucius, plus a few selectionsfrom the writings of Confucius's most influencial disciples-- some of thesecontemporary with Confucius and some from later times.

I could not helpnoticing prior reviews that deal harshly with the book.Some of thecriticism will not be meaningful to the nonscholarly reader, who, forexample, would not be offended that the "original numbering" ofthe Analects has been abandoned.

Selection of the writings has been mostjudicious.For example, the book contains "On the GreatLearning," and "On Education."To obtain all thesewell-chosen sample writings of Confucius in individual editions rather thanan anthology such as this would require an entire shelf of books.

Thisreadable, clean edition will be excellent for the thoughtful person whowants to explore across the breadth of Confucius's thought.And despitebiting criticism in the other reviews, I found Professor Lin's discussionsof Confucius's life, thought, and cultural impact to be most helpful.

Thebook is also a handsome little volume, and with a quality binding.One isproud to place it in one's library.

A fine introduction
I'm a beginner to the study of Confucianism with a good deal of amateur knowledge of religion and philosophy, and I found this book highly informative and readable -- it can certainly hold its own with some morerecent translations I've read. The most correct and useful numbering andorganization of the passages in Confucian originals seems to be a matter ofmuch debate, this is as good as any other I've seen.

Worthless
A disastrous work that perpetuates misinformation bout Confucius' life, strips the numbering off the Analects, loses half of them and throws the rest into a jumbled order presumably meant to read as a flowing narrative.Includes contemporary language, but many terms and phrases are badly chosenand clash with the overall tone of the work. Some passages are badlydistorted; most of them read like dubbed dialogue in a martial-arts movie.Not recommended for anyone or anything, except as an example of what not todo. Wade-Giles romanization. ... Read more

Book Description
This book reveals the true Confucius, one of the most important figures in Chinese history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent overview of Confucius' life and philosophy
Clements brings the 2,500 year-old philosopher, teacher, and statesman to life. He also provides maps and timelines to put it into perspective and make visualization easier. It's a short, easy, and enjoyable read spliced with words of wisdom from the Analects. In essence we are all here to do certain jobs and should do them to the best of our abilities and not disrupt the social order. He was very enlightened for his time in that he felt jobs should be obtained by merit and not birth. He came up with the idea of imperial exams to make accession fair. Perhaps it would be expecting too much for a philosopher who lived 2,500 years ago but, his idea of equality and a level playing field didn't extend to women. This is left out of the book. It's a well documented biography and the writing is good.

Clear, Concise, Confucius
Jonathan Clements once more takes a complex topic - in this case, the life of a monumental individual - and boils it down to a fast paced, lean read.

This biography of one of the world's most well-known and near-deified philosophers of all time is clean, concise - and yet gives more than just facts and dates. It actually feels like you have some insight into the man behind all the profound sayings and ideas which have been attributed to him. Anyone who's interested in more than just the fortune cookie Confucius will find this a fascinating read.

Anyone studiying Asian history or philosophy should be required to read this biography before starting their studies on Confucius. It's clear he was a master of common sense and that's worth reading and learning on any level. ... Read more

Book Description

Compiled by disciples of Confucius in the fourth century B.C.E.,The Analects of Confucius is a collection of aphorisms and historical anecdotes embodying the basic values of the Confucian tradition: learning, morality, ritual decorum, and filial piety. Reflecting the model eras of Chinese antiquity, the book is valued for its insights into the successful governance of the empire and its ideal organization of society. It has also been used for many centuries as a beginning text in the learning of classical Chinese.

Filled with humor and sarcasm, theAnalects reads like a casual conversation between teacher and student, emphasizing the role of the individual in the attainment of knowledge and the value of using historical events and people to illuminate complex moral and political concepts. Confucius's teachings focus on cultural and peaceful pursuits and the characteristics of benevolent and culturally distinguished government. He also discusses ancestor worship and other rites performed for the spirits of the dead and the importance of filial piety in cultivating one's moral and ethical development.

The single most influential philosophical work in all of Chinese history,The Analects of Confucius has shaped the thought and customs of China for centuries and has played a key role in the development of nearby countries, such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Burton Watson's concise translation uses the pinyin system of romanization and keeps explanatory notes to a minimum, yet his intimate knowledge of the Confucian tradition and precise attention to linguistic detail capture all the elegance, cogency, and wit of the original text, which continues to exert tremendous influence.

Customer Reviews (1)

A translation for the 21st century!
This little book has had a considerable influence over the centuries in China and its cultural sphere. This translation is very agreeable and can be read in one day. However, it is a book that requires more than just one reading.

To give some examples, here are some sentences, almost chosen randomly:

"The Master said, The gentleman is not a utensil."

"The Master said, Persons who lack trustworthiness-I don't know how they get by!"

"A person who really hated the lack of humaneness would conduct himself humanely, never allowing those who lack humaneness to affect his behavior."

"The Master's Way consists of loyalty and reciprocity alone."

And my favorite one: "Standing by a stream, the Master said, It flows on like this-does it not?- never ceasing, day or night."

Burton Watson is a great translator of fine letters and we are all in his debt.


... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
This edition goes beyond others that largely leave readers to their own devices in understanding this cryptic work, by providing an entrée into the text that parallels the traditional Chinese way of approaching it: alongside Slingerland's exquisite rendering of the work are his translations of a selection of classic Chinese commentaries that shed light on difficult passages, provide historical and cultural context, and invite the reader to ponder a range of interpretations. The ideal student edition, this volume also includes a general introduction, notes, multiple appendices—including a glossary of technical terms, references to modern Western scholarship that point the way for further study, and an annotated bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A New Translation with Traditional Commentary
Slingerland's translation of Confucius' Analects is a helpful addition to the current literature on the subject.Destined to be used for college student, Slingerland gathers a number of traditional commentaries on each translated verse as well as giving a helpful glossary of Chinese terms and names of person referred in the text.While I personally would prefer D.C. Lau's translation, Slingerland's prose is quite good and less cumbersome than Ames and Rogermont's philosophical translation.This is a helpful introduction to Confucian thought for English-language reader.

confusing reviews
None of these reviews relate to the Slingerland edition of Analects, which is the best around. ... Read more

Book Description
Text extracted from opening pages of book: CHINA moulded by CONFUCIUS THE CHINESE WAY IN WESTERN LIGHT by CHENG TIEN-HSI, LL. D. LOND. Of the Middle Temple, Barrister~ at~ La\ v and Honorary Bencher; Quain Prizeman in Public International LJ\ V; Fellow of University College, London; Ambassador to the Court of St. James's; Formerly Judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice; Professor of Lzw in the University cf Peking; Senior Member of the Law Codification Commission; Judge of the Supreme Court; Vicc~ Minister and Acting-Minister of lust ice; Special Commissioner of the Chinese Government for the International Exhibition of Chinese Art in London f Published under the auspices of THE LONDON INSTITUTE OF WORLD AFFAIRS LONDON STEVENS & SONS LIMITED 1947 First published in 1946 Second impression 2947 Published by 197$ Stevens 6-Sons, Limited ifffr 220 Chancery Lane, London, W. C. z Printed in Great Britain by Latimer, Trend & Co., Ltd., Plymouth All rights reserved % tn,^ utfy r ,^ ,,, illi '^^ n^ M'iil'^] WttJ>< ] ' '**$$ PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR To the Loving Memory of MY PARENTS This Book is Respectfully Dedicated ' When the Great Principle ( the ideal social order that Confucius had in his mind) prevails, the world is like one home common to all; men of virtue and merit are to be elected to be rulers; sincerity and amity pervade all dealings between man and man; people shall love not only their own parents and own children, but also those of others; the aged, the young, the helpless widows and widowers, the orphans, the destitute, the incapacitated, and the sick shall be well provided for and well looked after, while the able-bodied shall exert themselves in their aid; men shall be appropriately employed and women suitably married; one detests that things are abandoned or wasted on earth, but, when gathered or stored up, they are not to be retained exclusively for oneself; one detests that exertion does not proceed from oneself, but its fruits are not to be regarded exclu sively as one's own. Thus there will be no, and no cause for, con spiracy, robbery, theft, or rebellion, and no need to bolt one's outside door. This is a true Commonwealth/ Confucius, Book of Li t Bk. XXI, Title I/ Yun. Ch. 9. FOREWORD IT is no small measure of consolation to be able to feel that one's time is not idly spent, when others are ' doing their bit* in a tor mented world. It is with this feeling that I look back on my few years' quiet existence in Geneva during the Second World War; for, profiting by an existence without the usual daily routine, I have been able to put in a concrete shape a few reflections that have cropped up during a long period of years. My sojourn in the West has covered a good part of my life, and I always cherish a happy memory of it both in things I have learned and in persons I have met. For years I have deemed it an agreeable duty to try in my small way to introduce into my country what I have learned abroad, and thus to contribute, as best I can, directly and indirectly to a better under standing between the East and the West. But understanding requires mutuality, and so I feel it also my duty to try to bring in return to the West some of the ideas and ideals that my country and my countrymen have treasured for centuries. In this attempt I need hardly say that I express my views and thoughts simply as a private individual, wholly independent of any public capacity that I may possess or have possessed. One thing, however, I may say. While the treasures of a country, in the form of works of art like those which a few years ago I had the honour, as Special Commissioner of my Government, to bring over for exhibition in London, and which have attracted world-wide attention, can be seen by the eye, those, in the form of wisdom of the sages like those which will be unfolded in this book, such as what is said about ' noiseless music, formless manners, and badgeless mourning', * appeal rather to the soul. To be exact, pa ... Read more

Product Description
This China CD contains 67 classic works of fiction, history, and religion, plus the China Country Study.Intended for use with Windows PCs and recent Macs (OS X), these books are in plain-text format, organized for easy access.Some sample book titles:Across China on Foot by Edwin Dingle, 1911 Among the Tibetans by Isabella Bird Ancient China Simplified by Edward Harper Parker An Australian in China: Being the Narrataive of a Quiet Journey Across China to Burma by George Ernest Morrison, 1902 The Awakening of China by W.A.P. Martin A Bit of Old China by Charles Warren Stoddard (short) The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura Camps and Trails in China by Roy Andrews, 1918 China by Demetrius Boulger China and the Chinese by Herbert Allen Giles China and the Manchus by Herbert Allen Giles The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland Chinese Sketches by Herbert Giles The Civilization of China by Herbert Giles The Communist Threat int he Taiwan ARea by John Foster Dulles, 1958 Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland Diary of a Pedestrian in Cashmere and Tibet by Captain Knight En Chine, (in French) by Judith Gauthier, 1911 Everlasting Pearl, One of Chinna's Women by Anna Magdalena Johannsen, 1913 Farmers of Forty Centuries or Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea, and Japanby F.H. King The Fight for the Republic in China by L. Putnam Weale Forty Years in South China by John Talmage, 1894 A History of China by Wolfram Eberhard History and Ecclesiastical Relations of the Churches of the Presbyterial Order at Amoy, China by Rev. J.V.N. Talmage, 1863 In Macao by Charles Gunnison Indiscreet Letters from Peking [eye-witness account of Boxer Rebellion in 1900], by B.L. Putnam Weale, 1922 New Forces in Old China by Arthur Judson Brown Notable Women of Modern China by Margaret E. Burton Profiles from China by Eunice Tietjens, 1917 Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official by Major-General Sir W.H. Sleeman, 1915 A Record of Buddhistic Ki ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

One of the best books on Chinese political philosophy
By far the best study ever written of Chinese philosophy. Particular attention should be paid to Chapters VII, VIII and IX to understand the Asian mind. The influence of the totalitarian vision of Legalism on Chinese thought for thousands of years is not fully understood. The Chinese Empire, created in 221 B.C., was a fusion of Legalism and Confucianism. Chairman Mao was a great admirer of the first Chinese Emperor, who hated Confucianism and was a total Legalist. Indeed, modern "Communism" in China is really very much a continuation of some past trends. Check my Listamania list for more books on Legalism.

Compact, concise book, very informative.
H.G. Creel writes a wonderful book tracing the roots of Chinese thought from the pre-Confucian era to Mao Tse-Tung.Written in an easy to understand fashion, the book makes you want to learn more about the subject.

Old-fashioned but enjoyable
I just picked up a beautiful old copy of this at Moe's books in Berkeley.It dates from the early fifties.I don't know if this Chicago edition is simply a reprint, but I am finding it to be a throroughly well-written and enjoyable book.At times it simplifies and idealizes where perhaps a contemporary academic account might be more cautious, but this gives it a certain romance that accords with the subject matter.

Informative, but poorly written
Quite frankly, I expected more from a book that the University of Chicago Press ventured to publish.A nice summary but you'd swear that the author's first language wasn't English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Learning from Confucius.
THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS.A New Translation by James R. Ware. 128 pp. (Mentor Religious Classic).New York : New American Library, 1955 and Reissued.

The present book, after a 13-page Introduction on the historical background of Confucius, gives us an unannotated translation of a Chinese Classic that is more commonly referred to in the West'The Analects of Confucius.'Ware rounds out his edition with aTable of Chinese Dynasties, a brief Bibliography, and an Index of Subjects.

Ware's historical Introduction is the work of a sincere and genuinely concerned person, and should be of use to the newcomer to this subject.Ware sees something of great value in the Chinese tradition, something exemplified by Confucius and that the West desperately needs, although it has yet to realize this.

He tells us that "Confucius has much to say to us today," both asindividuals and as an entire culture or social entity.As individualswe can " receive personal encouragement for the leading of a good life."As an entire society, we could "formulate for ourselves a betterTruth" (p.7).

Personally I feel sure that Ware is right, although for the wrong reasons.All of us are blind to our own shadows, and those who have no experience of or deep familiarity with a foreign culture will never fully understand their own.Ware's immersion in Chinese thought hasled him to see something, but I don't think he's seen it as clearly as he might have.

One of the finest popular treatments of Chinese culture that we haveis Lin Yutang's 'My Country and My People.'And one of the most important points that Lin makes is that, whereas China has always been characterized by "a reasonable use of reason," the West has never shown a similar restraint but has instead given itself overto "an excessive use of reason" and a worship of mere rationalityand the 'scientific method.'

In other words, the Chinese, as a profoundly common-sensical people,have always remained firmly grounded in reality because they havealways understood that REASON CAN ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR.But the Westseems never to have never understood this.And unless it does, the Juggernaut ofReason which has been underway for centuries will continue on itsruthless and relentless course until it ends up by crushing everything.

Ware's translation, though undoubtedly sincere, is characterized by a certain woodenness, a certain stiffness.Here, as an example, is his rendering of Book II, xiv :

"Great Man, being universal in his outlook, is impartial; Petty Man, being partial, is not universal in outlook" (p.27)

Though Ware is adequate, I was weaned on Ezra Pound's more lively andidiosyncratic version of 'The Analects,' and although I've read and compared severaltranslations, the lines that tend to stick in my mind are invariablythose of Pound.Here is how he handles the same passage :

"He said : A proper man is inclusive, not sectary; the small man is sectarian and not inclusive" (Book II, xiv).

For the same passage, Arthur Waley gives:

"The Master said, A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias.The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side" (p.91).

All three versions, so far as I can see, mean pretty much the samething, although Ware is stiff, and Waley is more prosy and usesalmost twice as many words as Pound.Pound's edition, besides its greater punch, also has the merit of including two additional andvery powerful texts, along with beautiful reproductions of them fromthe stone Classics.

Ware, Waley and Pound give us Confucius as reflected in three intelligent though different sensibilities, all of them valuable. My advice would be to read and compare at least two of them.Forthose who may be interested, here are details of the Waley and the Pound :

THE ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS.Translated and annotated by Arthur Waley. 257 pp.New York : Vintage Books, nd.Originally published byGeorge, Allen, & Unwin, 1938.

CONFUCIUS : THE GREAT DIGEST, THE UNWOBBLING PIVOT, THE ANALECTS.Translation and Commentary by Ezra Pound.Stone Text from rubbingssupplied by William Hawley.288 pp.New York: New Directions, 1951and Reissued.

It is in Pound's translation of 'The Great Digest' that we find thestriking line:"If the root be in confusion, nothing will be well governed" (p.33).This is a line that I think Ware would have greatly admired. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Confucius Uncluttered
My mother pointed out to me wheen i was a teenager that religion is inherently cruel, and that if I wanted an ethical system without cruelty, I would haved to develop one on my own.Over the years I ended up with a sort of basic Confucianism based on the five cardinal virtues--human-heartedness, righteousness, proper social conduct, wisdom and sincerity.

So I was pleased to learn that Creel had, in stripping Confucianism of centuries of accretion, got back to pretty much the same thing.Nothing mystical or other-worldly--just a basic system of social ethics that promises a life of productive contentment.

I regret that I came across this book too late to write Creel to thank him.

published for homework
At a time when China's centralized government had broken down and public wars went on unchecked there was a wise man named Confucius who wanted to change China.His idea of how to do this was to have better leaders who were well trained ministers and not someone of royal blood. In the book Confucius The Man and The Myth, the author H.G. Creel describes Confucius's life somewhat vaguely.
At the beginning of the biography(25) there is little explanation about the time in which Confucius lived. The most it said was at that time China was ruled by aristocrats that taxed the people too much. This was what started the public wars. However everything else in the biography is mostly about his life.
The way H.G. Creel tells us about Confucius, it seems he thinks of him as a virtuous man. On page 26 Creel explains to us that "Confucius never tried to hide his humble past, but he was a little ashamed of it when he grew older." Creel thought that Confucius was humble and it was this that made him into a great man. This proves that the author thinks of him as someone who would be ethical.
There is a "biography" chapter, but only summarizes his life in a few pages. At the part of his life when he was a teacher Creel talks about Confucius for only 7 pages. Creel states that "What had Confucius been doing up to this time, aside from teaching? We simply do not know."(36)Since this is stated it means that they don't know much about this part of Confucius's life. He could have done a lot more than just teach. In the book Creel tells us that some stories about Confucius were false rumors. He states that "no one knew what, if anything, Confucius had done when he was minister of crime."(37) not knowing exactly what he did at that time makes it hard to comprehend some other parts of his life. In Chapter 8 Creel mostly talks about whether or not he was a scholar or if he even wrote anything. He writes that in the Analects in a rather obscure context, Confucius referred to himself as a "transmitter" and not a maker. He said that he believed in the ancient ways. Creel states that no one knew at which circumstances was this said so it proves little. So the part about him writing anything could just be an assumption.
After Confucius died people considered him a king without a crown. His teachings are still known to be used today in theteachings called Confucianism. Though Creel did not mention much about the setting of the China at the time of when Confucius lived, he explains to us that Confucius was wise. Confucius was born at about 551 B.C. and this book was published in 1949. So I think most of the information is based on the Analects mentioned in the book, Because of this, there are some things that aren't clear about Confucius's life. There are other sources that are more recent, such as on http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/. Some of the text is hard to understand unless you already know more about the time at which Confucius lived.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not a good place to start studying Confucianism
I bought this book because I had heard some people say it was more poetic than other translations.I did not find this to be true.If you are a beginner in Confucianism, "The Unwobbling Pivot" is usually referred to as the "Doctrine of the Mean." "The Great Digest" is usually referred to as "The Great Learning". I read Pound's translation of the Analects and I was disappointed.I think Waley's translation is closer to being poetic than Pound's translation.I have studied many translations of the Analects and I found Pound's translation to seem off-mark.The language was usually clumsy rather than poetic.I eventually put it aside.

I do applaud Ezra Pound's love of Confucianism and his intention to promote Confucianism for Westerners.In this vein, I recommend "Achieve Lasting Happiness" by Robert Canright, which is a version of the Analects updated for modernity.Canright's book also presents a vision of how Americans can embrace Confucianism as a system of universal ethics.

One of the other reviews said "no one knows how much Chinese Ezra Pound knew".I recommend "Ezra Pound and Confucianism" by Feng Lan.The author discusses Pound's translation in a way that is accessible and interesting.Dr. Feng Lan goes beyond the issues of translation.He also discusses Ezra Pound's "political polemic" in chap. 3 and Pound's spiritual beliefs in chapter 4.

Whether or not you buy this book by Pound, I encourage you to buy Robert Canright's book and Feng Lan's book.

Confucius say
This book was my first introduction to Confucius and I was very pleased. Other reviewers have made critical reference to the translation. While not a Chinese scholar, I am aquainted with the literature and this volume has been the most useful in introducing me to Confucius.
Ezra Pound seems to have captured the essense of these writings, as this translation confirms many ideas contained in other more scholarly works. Highly recommended!

more griping, I'm afraid, but this is rubbish
Let's put things in perspective:
you wouldn't ask a fellow how to explain Saint Thomas Aquinas, if he:
a)knew no Latin,
b)wasn't a Catholic,
c)knew no Catholics, and
d)had a long history of spouting rubbish about languages, belief systems, and peoples he knew nothing about.
Now, if getting the right dope on Aquinas might be a bit difficult under these circumstances, how much more difficult would it be to get the truth on a far more foreign culture speaking a far more foreign language from a lot longer ago?
If you've read Ezra Pound's silly and ill-tempered diatribes on literary matters (e.g. ABC of Reading, or the Guide to Kulchur) you'll recognize the rhetorical style.
If you like Pound's literary style, fine, then read his own discombobulated verse or perhaps his "Cathay", which is a purely imaginative work derived from Earnest Fenellosa's notes (who didn't know Chinese either, by the way, just Japanese) which purports to render Li Po's great poems into English.It's about as Chinese as a tearoom in Las Vegas but that's allright.
This man does NOT know anything about China or Confucious. You cannot just wing it when you translate an ancient text. Even if you're blindly convinced that the text is a transcendent work of genius which would cure all the evils of the world, which is more or less the tenor of Pound's dementia when he ground out this screed.
Use Arthur Waley's readable translation with its excellent introduction, or, for that matter, just about anything else. You'll reach a better conclusion about Confucious. Was he the sanest and most humane of all the philosophical system builders, or was he just a sententious reactionary, a lunatic to rank with all the others who thought they knew how society should be governed?

Not for the novice
If you have never read the Analects in a more contemporary translation, then stay away from the Ezra Pound version, because you will most likely not understand the text (for example, compare verse 2.4 versus any other translation out there).The Pound version is much more interesting after you have read the Analects at least once and have a view of what the verses mean.

Those who know aren't up to those who love...
One of the worst problems in our world is that it is infested with'experts,' 'experts' of every variety from the diploma-wavers through to the self-appointed.The main aim of these 'experts' seems to have been to convince the world that only 'experts' have a right to say anything about anything.In this they have been extremely successful, and the mature, intelligent, and well-informed adult who may have a lot to contribute, but who is not an 'expert,' has been pretty well reduced to silence.

His mouth has been shut.He has been convinced that his own God-given brain is worthless.Even if there's something he'd like to say, he or she is afraid of being shouted down by the 'experts' and their groupies.A reading of the great Chinese thinkers would soon convince anyone ofhow dangerous and damaging to society 'experts' can be, but most of us don't read the Chinese.We have been conditioned to think of them as alien and to forget that they were human like us.

Ezra Pound may have been a bit crazy in some ways (who isn't?), andhis Chinese readings have come in for a lot of flak, but anyone who,like Pound, loved Asian thought and set out to bring it to a West thatis desperately in need of it, certainly deserves our gratitude whether they be 'expert' or non-expert.

Nobody knows how much Chinese Pound knew anyway.He certainly knewsome.And anyone who knows anything at all about the complexities of Classical Chinese realizes that all readings or translations from that language, whether by professional linguists or enthusiasts such asPound, must always be personal.There are just too many ways ofvalidly interpreting a given line.

And as Burton Watson, who is one of the USA's foremost scholars of Ancient Chinese has pointed out in his 'Complete Works of Chuang Tzu,'since there can be no definitive interpretation neither can there beany such thing as a definitive translation.Watson, incidentally, was perfectly happy to approve Thomas Merton's readings of another great Chinese thinker, Chuang Tzu, even though Merton knew no Chinese at all.He feels that the more translations, whether expert or non- expert (when done with sincerity and love), the better.But expertssuch as Burton Watson, sadly, are rare, perhaps because they are theonly true experts.

My own copy of Pound's 'Confucius' was purchased many years ago.It's very well-thumbed and heavily annotated, and I often return toit.I've also studied Arthur Waley's more exact translation carefully, and a few others.But the Confucian lines that stick in my mind always seem to be those of Pound, lines such as: "If the root be in confusion, nothing will be well governed" (page 33).

The "root" today is certainly "in confusion."And those who dismiss Pound on the basis of a few howlers are simply adding to the confusion.To let you in on a secret, there are many howlers - up toand including the omission of whole lines - in the translations of evenreputable and well-known scholars of Chinese (though I've never foundany in Burton Watson).

My advice would be to ignore the gripers, most of whom don't havedirect access to the Chinese text anyway, and to read Pound's version of Confucius.He was a literary genius and got it right most of the time, and you'd learn a great deal from it.

Pound's 'Confucius' has always found and will continue to find readers. I think it's because, as Confucius says: "Those who know aren't up to those who love..." (page 216). ... Read more

Amazon.com
Arguably the four most influential individuals in human history, Socrates, the Buddha, Confucius and Jesus have cast shadows on history that are nearly inescapable even today. Who were they, what were their doctrines, and what was their influence? These are some of the questions that the 20th-century philosopher Karl Jaspers explores in this short excerpt from his larger volume, Great Philosophers.Book Description
A part of JaspersÂ's planned universal history of philosophy, focusing on the four paradigmatic individuals who have exerted a historical influence of incomparable scope and depth. Edited by Hannah Arendt; Index. Translated by Ralph Manheim. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent introduction to world-historical figures of interest
Karl Jaspers was a somewhat unusual and enigmatic thinker.While being an excellent philosopher, he strongly distanced himself from the dominant philosophical schools of his time, both the continental and the analytical and positivist movements which dominated academic discourse.This was somewhat unfortunate and relegated Jaspers to being a lonely and marginalised figure, yet Jaspers published many works which are of enduring interest.

Of these are his four volumes on the history of philosopy and studies of great philosophers.In this volume Jaspers looks at Jesus, the Buddha, Socrates and Confucius as 'paradigmatic' figures who unleashed new visions which changed the world forever.Jaspers also adopts a somewhat unusual hermeneutical approach to these philosophers, taking the facts of scientific history not as starting points which constrain what can be said about these philsophers, but assessing their thought instead from Jasper's own existentialist framework.It is hard sometimes not to see Jaspers reading his own philosophy and philosophical viewpoint into that of these past philosophers, an approach closer to that of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard than that favoured by modern historians of philosophy.

Even so, Jasper's analysis of these philosopher-sages is fascinating and repays careful study.

There's scholarship and there's scholarship
The previous reviewer, in reminding us of recent scholarship on Jesus and the Gospel tradition, raises several pertinent considerations.Jaspers' book generally reflects the more modern scholarship that has focused increasingly on certain parallel sayings in Matthew and Luke as "Q Gospel" remnants and on the earliest Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts of the earliest extant Gospel, Mark.Yet recent similarly focused studies on the other three paradigmatic figures covered here don't seem reflected in Jaspers' book to the same extent.Personally, I am not as disturbed as the previous reviewer may be by applying modern scholarship to the Gospels.Rather, what I miss is the same strictness applied to the other three written traditions.Confucius, for example, is eventually described as having held high office only when we get to relatively late texts in the Confucian tradition.Yet Jaspers accepts this description of him without question.In fact, if, as Jaspers does by inference in his Jesus chapter, we are to set some of what we read in the Gospel of John aside, then oughtn't we set aside similar texts describing Confucius as having had conspicuous political success?If the "Q Gospel" passages in Matthew/Luke and the earliest manuscript tradition for Mark are to be highlighted as delineations of the "historical Jesus", then only Chapters 3 through 9 of the Analects of Confucius, generally regarded as the earliest stratum of Confucian text, should be the primary basis for the kind of modern philosophical scrutiny Jaspers purports to offer.Jaspers' Confucius chapter does not confine itself to the kind of wandering, almost homeless, figure found in these seven earliest chapters.To be consistent, shouldn't it?While it's useful for Jaspers, at the outset of his Buddha chapter, to single out the Digha-Nikaya collection as the earliest stratum of Buddha sermons, the rest of the Buddha chapter goes well beyond the Digha-Nikaya collection, even flirting occasionally with Buddha traditions lying outside the Pali tradition, let alone the Digha-Nikaya collection!There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but it becomes inconsistent in the light of Jaspers' tacit adoption of certain tenets of modern historical criticism in his Jesus chapter.(To do Jaspers justice, he never explicitly offers quite the detailed textual background on the Gospel tradition that I attempt here.)What, IMO, might prove a more creditable effort -- since I would agree that these four figures indeed emerge as the most strongly verified human beings in history to live an essentially blameless life oriented toward an entirely self-made, and therefore inherently courageous, ethic -- would be a survey based exclusively on those fifteen or so sermons in the Digha-Nikaya regarded by modern scholars as the earliest for Buddha, on Chapters 3 through 9 of the Analects for Confucius, on the earliest, least "spun", Plato dialogues, such as the Charmides, the Hippias Minor, the Euthyphro, the Apology and the Crito, for Socrates, and on the Vaticanus/Sinaiticus Mark tradition plus the "Q" passages in Matthew/Luke for Jesus.It is unfortunate that Jaspers' book, with all its modern trappings (not in itself a bad thing, IMO), fails to do this rigorously.Hence, my three-star rating.Jaspers should be given credit, though, for a worthwhile start at the important task of evaluating perhaps the four finest human beings ever to walk this earth.

Interesting idea, but is it trustworthy scholarship?
Karl Jaspers has undertaken an interesting study in the little book.He looks at the teachings of four men who have had the most far-reaching impact on our world.He claims that the greatness of their influence is measured in centuries as well as globally.The four great men he chose for this book are, as the title suggests, Socrates, Buddha, Confucius and Jesus.He entertained the thought of including Mohammed but chose not to.He explains that Mohammed "might be comparable in historical importance but not in individual depth (p. 87)."One other interesting insight comes from Jaspers on the same page.We have no writings from any of the four themselves - what we do have comes from their disciples after they died.

So much for the interesting, now for the question of trustworthiness.

Jaspers examined the biblical accounts of Jesus through the lens of higher criticism.In other words, Jaspers did not deal with the biblical text itself when he studied Jesus, he dealt with the text after sifting through what others thought was truly the teaching of Jesus.The reason this poses a problem is important to all readers, not merely to Christians.If he did not take the teachings of Jesus (as recorded by his disciples) at face value, did he take the teachings of Socrates, Buddha and Confucius (as recorded by their disciples) at face value?Is the reader really getting Socrates, Buddha, Confucius and Jesus, or is the reader getting Karl Jaspers?Knowing the aspects of Jesus' teachings that have been ignored in this study, and their importance to understanding Jesus' view of himself and the world around him, makes me wonder what we may have lost, in this study, from the other three great men included here.

This book is a very interesting idea.But, is it trustworthy scholarship?Not in my humble opinion.However, those who do not wish to sift through the original writings will inevitably want to read Jasper's abridgement of those writings.This may be to the readers' benefit, or to their detriment.

Made a big impression on me!
Aside from being an intelligently written book, I gave this book 5 stars because it made a big impression on me.Jaspers explanation of Confucius made the strength of Confucious's teaching clear.Now I'm very interested in Confucious and am reading more books about him. In that respect, this slim volume changed my life: It brought Confucious to life.What's more, by explaining Confucius's feelings about Taoism, this slim book did more to explain classic Taoism than the 2 books on the Tao I've already read.

Be aware that this book is due to the editing of Hannah Arendt. This means that Jaspers did not put this book out and say "Ta Da, the 4 Greatest!"No, Jaspers wrote a 2 volume book on the great philosophers due to his post War interest in increasing tolerance among men (per the Encyclopedia Britanica). This book does not appear to have any noticable Existentialist influence.

Finally, if you are a fundamentalist Christian, be warned that it is clear from his writing that Jaspers does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, nor does he believe the Bible is free of error. He is not disrespectful of Jesus nor of Christianity, but do not think that because Jesus is in this book that the book is strongly pro-Jesus.

Well Written
This book is a joy to read.Jaspers has a real talent for breaking down complex thoughts into detailed, easy to read format.Jaspers presents a broad overview that should be attractive to newcomers.More advanced readers will appreciate his style and his refreshing perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
Part of the Traditional Chinese Culture series, this book is an illustrated adaptation of Confucius thoughts. Collected and popularized by the immensely popular Chinese illustrator Tsai Chih Chung, the book includes the life of Confucius and his analects for the reader of today, bringing to life the spirit and philosophy of Confucius through cartoon panels with a text that is irreverently humorous yet replete with wisdom. It is a great and easy tool to learn Chinese classics. ... Read more

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Still a classic!
It is unfortunate that this fine book is out of print.Originally published under the title, _Confucius, the Man and the Myth_, this is a thoughtful study (by one of the leading Sinologists of this century) of Confucius, his era, and the contemporary relevance of his thought.

Any book this old (the original version was published in the 40's, I think) is a little out of date.And Creel sometimes succumbs to the temptation to read Confucius as a proto-Deweyan pragmatist-democrat.But Creel still has many insights into the teachings of "the Master," and gives an engaging (if speculative) portrait of his life.This is still the best book-length secondary study of Confucius I know of in English.

This book may sometimes be found at used book stores, and I sometimes see copies available second-hand on zShops.Snap it up if you are interested in Confucius! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating book that makes Confucian ideas accessible and relevant
I found "What would Confucius do?" to be an entertaining way to introduce myself to the timeless wisdom of the great teacher.I'm a scientist by training, so philosphy has frequently seemed unapproachable.This book, however, elegantly distills the heart of Confucius' teaching, and organizes the many sayings of Confucius into relevant catagories for people to use today.

This book is truly a wonderful way to begin to understand Confucius, and how these simple guidelines for conducting you life can make you and possibly the world more civilized. ... Read more

Book Description
From the literary community's most talented translator of Chinese, a compelling, contemporary rendition of Ancient China's most significant work

"Breathtaking" --Publishers Weekly

Confucius failed in his lifetime to rescue a crumbling civilization with his teachings, but he was to become the most influential sage in human history. His thought, still remarkably current, survives here in The Analects-a collection of brief aphoristic sayings that has had a deeper impact on more people's lives over a longer period of time than any other book in human history.

Highly regarded for the poetic fluency he brings to his award-winning work, David Hinton is the first twentieth-century translator to render the four central masterworks of ancient Chinese thought: Chuang Tzu, Mencius, The Analects, and Tao Te Ching (forthcoming from Counterpoint). His new versions are not only inviting and immensely readable, but they also apply a much-needed consistency to key terms in these texts. Breathing new life into these classics, Hinton's translations will stand as the definitive series for our era. ... Read more

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Don't you want to know what the sage really said?
China has been a nation governed by philosophers, among them many state officials trained by the great Confucius. My first contact with his sayings was in the old Charlie Chan movies where Confucius always seemed to have an important contribution to make in solving the murder. In the Analects we get more great sayings. But this time they are there to make an important contribution to our quest for the good life, which will follow naturally from self-cultivation and mastery of the Tao. I suppose there are some who don't need wisdom to live wisely. As for me, I am not that lucky. I need to read the philosophers like Confucius and get their input. Particularly important for modern times are the Master's statements about government, epistemology, rituals, and money. "In government, the secret is integrity. Use it." How about this one? "Shall I explain understanding for you, Lu? When you understand something, you know you understand it. When you don't understand something, know you don't understand it. That is understanding." Adept Kung wanted to do away with sacrificing sheep to announce a new moon to the ancestors. The Master said, "You love sheep, Kung." Pretty funny! The thing the really dropped me off my chair was the Master's explanation why a powerfull nation should never attack a less powerful nation preemptively. (This was the Chi versus Chung-Yu controversy, but it applies to Iraq.) Read that yourself and tell me if it doesn't make sense. Another gem: After the master heard a line from a poem: I haven't stopped loving you/ but your home is so far away - The Master said, "If he'd really loved her, he wouldn't have worried about the distance." Hinton's translations are simple and direct and relate to the spirit of the Chinese but not the letter. Those of you who know Chinese (I still murder the language after 22 years of study) know how difficult it is to translate into English. The reason is that the thoughts are actually different in Chinese and any translation therefore must miss the mark. Hinton is excellent but I also recommend you also take a look at the Arthur Wailey translation for a balanced view.

Betrays the original
Uses contemporary language better than most, but ultimately doesn't justify the many liberties it takes. (In at least one instance, a disciple's identity is actually changed!) "Humanity" as atranslation for _ren_ is not improved by being capitalized. Wade-Gilesromanization. ... Read more

Book Description
Few individuals have shaped their country's civilization more profoundly than the Master Kong (Confucius, 551-479 BC). Compulsory reading in the late Imperial period for all who wished to enter the Civil Service or Government, his sayings and those of his disciples form the foundation of a distinct social, ethical, and intellectual system. They have retained their freshness and vigour throughout the two and a half millennia of their currency, and are still admired even in today's China.This lively new translation with clear explanatory notes by one of the foremost scholars of classical Chinese provides the ideal introduction to the Analects for readers who have no previous knowledge of the Chinese language and philosophical traditions. ... Read more

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The Layman's Review
Before purchasing this book, one needs to ask themselves why they want it. If you are purchasing this book to perform a comparitive review on the contextual issues involved with the translation of ancient Chinese for the modern scholar, you will likely be disappointed.

However, if you are simply trying to familiarize yourself with an ancient philosophy of the Far East, this book will do nicely. If you are able to focus on the ideas rather than the grammar, you will be pleased. This book contains a wealth of common sense virtues and would be an absolute "must" for an aspiring political scientist, as it contains a healthy dose of political savvy.

Finally, the reader must keep in mind while reading this that Confucianism did not take hold for many years after Master Kong's death. Such is the way of all wisdom. ... Read more