The Life and Teachings of Confucius, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

James Legge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

From the disposition of a land's rulers to the behavior of its women, from the existence of God to the value of prayer, Confucius has been a powerful shaper of the moral life and political structures of Asian nations. This classic Western exploration of the philosopher's life and work includes a brief biography of the thinker; a history of his analects, or teachings, from their preservation in ancient China to their discovery by Europeans; and detailed explanations of the analects that reveal the depth and breadth of their wisdom. First published in 1867, this replica of the 1895 seventh edition remains a delightful little guide to the foundational beliefs of Eastern cultures. Scottish scholar JAMES LEGGE (1815-1897) was the first professor of Chinese language and literature at Oxford University, serving from 1876 to 1897. Among his many books are The Religions of China (1880) and the 50-volume Sacred Books of the East (1879-1891). _________________________________ ALSO FROM COSIMO: Legge's A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596059303
• ISBN-13: 978-1596059306
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,786,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't Really Do Justice To The True Brilliance of Confucius, March 28, 2008

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The Amazin' Amazon Guy "Help Me I'm Too Cool!" (Turnersville, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Teachings of Confucius, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

This book wasn't terrible or lacking in substance, but the author really misses out on some of the classic wisdom Confucius shared with his people that has been handed down through generations and cultures everywhere. I agree that Confucius was a very wise and powerful sage when it came to issues like political structure regarding Asian nations, and to his credit James Legge documents this very well. But what about all of the more commonplace, apt and lighthearted axioms that the brilliant Chinese philosopher brought us?

Amazingly, the book omits scrutiny of some of Confucius's best known observations, such as "Man who fly upside down have crack up", "Wise man never play leapfrog with unicorn", and "Woman who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cathouse". How could these long-enduring philosophical tenets have been missed, especially as they remain so relevant in modern society? Not only are those quotes funny, but the humor of them is genuinely rooted in a truth and wisdom at a level that only someone of Confucius's outstanding mental acuity could have achieved.

To be sure, Legge does cover in detail some of Confucius's great philosophical moments, such as the meeting in Ts'oo with the Duke. I don't wish to downplay his work in that regard. Legge is obviously a great admirer of Confucius and perhaps this effort was an attempt to avoid rehashing the manifestly obvious aspects of Confucius's legacy. One can only speculate.

But again, even an in-depth look at the teachings of Confucius should not pass over the more mainstream, popular adages contained in his teachings. I don't understand the omission of maxims like "Man who stand on toilet high on pot", "Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night", and the rarely overlooked and timeless classic, "It is better to be p---ed off than on". Whatever the deeper implications of Confucius's impact, it's hardly questionable whether some of his most memorable gems of wisdom should be included in the discussion. That's just my opinion.