The Analects, known in Chinese as the Lunyu (“Selected Sayings”), are a collection of maxims and short parables that embody the essence of Confucius’s teachings. These teachings, which include prescriptions on a range of themes including gentlemanly conduct, ritual, and politics, were influenced by both mythology and recorded history. References both to actual leaders from the Chou dynasty as well as Sheng, the legendary Divine Sages from the ancient past, appear in the Analects, and repeatedly throughout the text, Confucius emphasizes his role as a mere transmitter, rather than the originator, of the teachings he espouses.
The essence of these teachings is a call for the return to an...
