The Analects

1.      Give significant background information about the author or the literary piece

Answer:

“Confucius” is the name by which English speakers know Kong Qiu  , born near a small ducal state on the Shandong Peninsula in 551 BCE. Confucius (551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history.

The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism.

Confucius is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Chinese classic texts including all of the Five Classics, but modern scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but only many years after his death.

Confucius's principles had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. He also recommended family as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", an early version of the Golden Rule.

2.      Write the synopsis or summary of the literary text

Answer:

The Analects is a 249 page, non-fiction quasi-historical work divided into twenty-four parts that include an introduction, twenty books and three appendices plus back matter and glossary. The Introduction is fifty pages in length; the Books are titled with Roman numerals and range in length from three to seven pages. The Appendices range in length from thirteen to thirty-four pages. Back matter includes notes and cited references pages plus a thirteen-page Glossary. The Introduction and Appendices are written in regular prose form that is invaluable to an understanding of Confucius' thinking. The Analects is compiled from ancient scripture, legends and traditions. Introduction and Appendices integrate themes, ideas and interpretations from many sources. They provide a road map to understanding the life, times and thought of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism.

The Analects are not written in prose but rather in a poetic verse-like form. This version is one of three discovered and is comprised of twenty books. The titles, Book I through Book XX may be intimidating until the term book is understood to be more like a chapter. Each book has numbered sections called Chapters that are more like verses. The Analects itself totals about one hundred pages. Reading comprehension is enhanced by explanations in the Introduction and Appendices. The Analects is a study in ancient Chinese culture and characters. The work is based on a complex and nuanced language that needs clarification for comprehension. Its poetic form and veiled Chinese nuance adds to the difficulty a casual reader may have in understanding the apparently disjointed, but clearly significant subject matter. Confucius is the father of the Chinese schools of Confucianism in their many forms. The Analects is not written by Confucius in a conventional Western sense of an author. It is compiled from Chinese archaeological source documents and ancient, edited translations researched and gathered together into an articulate work published by D.C. Lau in 1979.

3.      List down three questions that come to mind while reading the text, then choose one explore it more fully

Answer:

1.      Are Confucius's ideas on the governance of common people realistic or idealistic?

2.      Examine the concepts of li, te, and jen/ren. How are they related to the manifestation of the junzi/chun-tzu?

3.      Examine the concept of filial piety hsiao/xiao in The Analects. How does it relate to the guidelines presented regarding governance over a population?

 I would like to answer the first question. Confucian ideals stress that a ruler should rule by example and te/de, or moral force, rather than by the use of fear or physical force. As presented in The Analects, Confucius believed that a just and benevolent ruler would be able to spread such goodness and positivity by example and thus help it spread throughout a kingdom so that all the people within it would learn to apply it in their own lives. While this is somewhat idealistic on its face, it also illustrates that Confucius's beliefs stemmed from benevolence and not the later ideologies represented by Legalism. While this is a sound basis for a philosophy of governance, The Analects does not deal in specific examples but rather in general statements. As such, there is no clear guidance on how to best deal with complex problems. For example, Confucian ideals teach that if a ruler is not able to act in what is right or best, that ruler should step down. By stepping down, a ruler may actually invite greater difficulties and problems into a kingdom. Good and bad are presented as largely black and white ideas, with no shades of gray.

4.      Explain the emotion that literary text awoke in you or which you felt while or after reading the piece.

Answer:

I feel the emotion of The Gentleman or Superior Scholar.From the Chinese word Chun-tzu or Junzi, depending on the translation, this term refers to an individual who lives by a refined moral code, follows the Tao, and comes to internalize jen. The life of the "gentleman" is presented in the text as inherently superior in every way to what Confucius comes to refer to as the "small man". This person is not motivated by gain or by a specific political ideology. Rather what is right in every situation is of paramount concern. The life of the gentleman is one of moderation. Any extreme is viewed as incorrect. This theme is mirrored in other works of literature and philosophy. Greek philosophy, for example, prefers the virtue of a middle path between two extremes. Arthur Waley argues that such thinking was also the basis of Liberalism.

5.      Copy a part of literary text (sentence, paragraph, dialogue) which is striking, puzzling most beautiful, enlightening and discuss why?

"The Master said, 'At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from complexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right.'" (Book II, Ch.4, p. 88)

In this quote, Confucius outlines a life devoted to learning and the pursuit of jen. It demonstrates that attaining the status of the "gentleman" or "superior man" is a lifelong pursuit achieved only through a sincere devotion to self-cultivation. This quote also demonstrates that if such devotion is carried out, one can follow his or her heart's desire without concern for moral quandaries, as goodness will then be innate. This quote also presents a small portrait of Confucius himself. It is likely that the quote was transcribed or completed after his death and could be seen as a loving portrait by the disciples of their teacher.

6.      Identify the theme of literary piece.

The theme is about Goodness/Humaneness. Translated from the word jen or ren, goodness or humaneness is frequently presented in the text as a virtue attained by knowledge and the observation of ritual. It is important to note that the term does not simply mean "good," but speaks to a moral character and attitude that few can hope to possess. It is a complex term outlining a nearly divine presence. As such its attainment can take a lifetime to acquire and years of practiced polishing and re-polishing of one's values and character..

 

7.      Write the critique of the works using an appropriate literary approach or theory (Example: Feminism, Marxism, formalism, behaviorism, etc)

Answer:

While the practicality of Confucius's ideas may be called into question, the principles have a timeless quality that have encouraged the pursuit of what Confucius believed was the best in all people. Confucius presented an underlying order of justice in his assessment of human existence. If someone were to behave selfishly or treat others poorly, a punishment was not necessary. This individual's life would simply not be one of happiness but one of anxiousness and despair. Contrast this with the concept of punishment awaiting them in the afterlife. Meanwhile someone who lived according to a moral code and followed the Way would find that to be its own reward. This is of particular importance to someone who may have suffered injustice at the hands of others and could be tempted to simply behave in the same manner. In this sense it can argued that a concept of faith can be found in Confucianism, and this may explain its reach and longevity.