The Analects (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Confucius (Author), William Edward Soothill (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1995 | Series: Dover Thrift Editions

Rich distillation of the timeless precepts of extremely influential Chinese philosopher and social theorist. Includes "Concerning Fundamental Principles," "Concerning Government," "The Eight Dancers: Concerning Manners and Morals," "Concerning Virtue," "Concerning Certain Disciples and Others," "Concerning Certain Disciples and Other Subjects," "Concerning the Master Himself," and much more. Footnotes.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Unabridged edition (April 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486284840
• ISBN-13: 978-0486284842
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Confucianism
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Greek & Roman
  • #32 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Eastern Philosophy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book at a fabulous price, July 18, 2000

By 

"sabrina777" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Analects (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

This book contains the essential antiquities of ancient learning that fostered the development of the philosophies in the west in a clear, easy to read format.

I was amply impressed by the organization and translation, and doubly impressed by the fantastic price. I would highly recommend for anyone just curious about philosophy, or for anyone doing scholarly research on this subject. 5 stars

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good overview of Confucius thoughts and philosophy., July 7, 2011

By 

Joseph J. Truncale "warriorwriter" (Vernon Hills, Il) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Analects (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

One of the most famous philosophers in history is Confucius. This text covers various quotes and conversations with Confucius and his 36 disciples. Since many of the sayings are spoken in mystical parables and some of the thoughts might be lost in translation, it is not always clear what the message may be in many of these conversations. Nevertheless, this is an important text for anyone who is interested in the many wise sayings of Confucius. This book is broken down into what it calls ten volumes.

Volume one covers fundamental principles and government. The second volume discusses manners, morals and virtue. The third volume deals with certain disciples and other subjects. The master himself is covered in volume four. The sage in his daily life is discussed in volume five. The disciples, virtue, nobility and politics is explained in volume six. The government and certain rulers are covered in volume seven. Volume eight explains the maintenance of principles and character. The final two volumes cover recording unsuitable calls and ancient worthies, recorded saying of some disciplines and concerning the right government.

In summary, this text would be of interest to anyone seeking knowledge about the sayings and philosophy of Confucius.

Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Haiku Moments: How to read, write and enjoy Haiku)

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No fault with the original text, just the translation., July 3, 2006

By 

Abdulmajed Dakkak "QoDSec" (Toledo, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Analects (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

In contrast with some of the free translations found online, this book's translation was somewhat odd. Certain Chinese words cannot be translated into English, or have different meanings depending on how you read it. Thus certain sentences could be translated differently. The free online translations acknowledged this problem and provided explanations to why such a word or a sentence was translated; this is missing in this book. As an example, the book uses the phrase "the nobler type of a man", while other translations refer to the concept of "nobler" as the "Tao". The other translations provide justifications for the translation, while this book does not.

I would have also loved a discussion of the text and how they would be interpreted in different situations.

The book lacks a proper introduction. First there is no detailed explanation on who Confucius was, what he became, and what contributed to the writing of the Analects. Similarly, there is no explanation on China, and how Confucius's work contributes in today's Chinese society. The book even fails to explain what credentials the translator has, and what sets this book apart from the thousand other translations of the Analects.