Confucius, the Analects

Rodney L. Taylor, PhD, the foremost American researcher of Confucius as a religious and spiritual figure, is author of The Religious Dimensions of Confucianism, The Way of Heaven, The Confucian Way of Contemplation and The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Confucianism, among other books. He is professor of religious studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he also served as director of Asian studies, chair of the Department of Religious Studies and associate dean of the Graduate School.

• Introduction ix1. Opening the Analects: The Pursuit of Learning 12. Confucius' Humanity 53. The Noble Person 214. On Filial Piety 495. Ritual and Music 596. The Nature of Learning 697. Truthfulness and Righteousness 818. The Teaching of Goodness 899. The Single Thread 10510. Reflections on Tradition 11111. The Way of Heaven 11912. Closing the Analects: Learning for the Self 133Acknowledgments 137Notes 139Suggestions for Further Reading 141Index of Passages 143

"Follow[s] in the footsteps of the best of the East Asian Confucian tradition in presenting a judicious, readable and creative commentary on the words of the master in order to introduce Confucian philosophy and spirituality to an expanded audience."—Dr. John H. Berthrong, associate professor of comparative theology, Boston University School of Theology"A lucid, heartfelt and succinct presentation … with special attention to the depth of [Confucian] teachings as a Way of life dedicated to learning the Way of Heaven…. Deftly brings to light layers of meaning and moral wisdom that address the human condition, both in the time of Confucius and today."—Judith Berling, professor of Chinese and comparative religions, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; past president, American Academy of Religion"Rigorous in scholarship, and yet accessible to the general public. [Taylor's] exposition on the single thread, in particular, will greatly illuminate the unifying core of Confucian teachings for the reader."—Derek Lin, translator and annotator, Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained"Provide[s] us with valuable reflections on the significance of the Analects for our times…. A unique contribution [that] will become its own Way of Learning."—Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale University; co-editor with Tu Weiming of Confucian Spirituality “The most thoroughly researched and absorbing work of its kind on Confucian and indeed classical Chinese religious, educational, social and ethical thought in general known to me in my more than forty years of college-level teaching in religious studies.”—Frederick M. Denny, professor emeritus of religious studies, University of Colorado at Boulder“A timely and welcome addition to the growing corpus of books that highlight the relevance of Confucianism in the contemporary world…. Unabashedly personal … with an emphasis on [Confucianism's] religious dimensions.”—Richard Shek, professor of humanities and religious studies, California State University, Sacramento“Becoming morally mature while continuing to learn—what could be more relevant in the world today? Rodney Taylor's [volume] provides an inspiring guide to this goal in a new reading of the Chinese classic that also takes into account its profound practical relevance. A must read!”—Livia Kohn, Boston University; translator and annotator, Chuang-tzu: The Tao of Perfect Happiness—Selections Annotated & Explained