The Analects is a very confusing book to analyze and understand, mostly due to its format, which is a collection of aphorisms, arranged in, at least at first glance, without any clear rhyme or reason. So, I emailed my English teacher about how I might approach reading the Analects.
Hello!
Last summer, I started reading the Analects, by Confucius. As you might know, it's in the form of a collection of 'sayings' by …
Sorry for the long delay in getting this entry in. I just started school, and I've been kinda busy, but now that I'm back in the groove, I think I can continue uploading regularly.
Today, I took a look at verses 2.17-2.21, and decided to speak on verse 2.21, which deals with the 'purposeful effort to engage in governance.'
Confucius argues that one should not need to make a purposeful effort to engage in …
I've recently been feeling like my analysis of the Analects don't really go deep enough, and I think that part of it might be that trying to analyze four at a time is too many. I've decided that from now on, I'll continue to read four verses at a time, but I'll only write about one or two of them. However, I'll explore those chosen verses more deeply than before.
Another form of systemization I'd …
Sorry for the late update on this one. I was originally intending to post every six chapters, but I ended up finishing Part I before I decided to post. I'll try to post more often.
This book is not dry. It's long, but it's not dry. It's all thanks to the characters: They're all so interesting and compelling. They almost seem like real people.
Anyway, the main bulk of the part took place at the …
I've been actively trying to be more respectful towards my parents and to other people. Not only have I tried applying the ideas of Confucius, but I also recently read an article about various forms of 'reciprocity,' that is, the transfer of goods and services between different kinds of relationships. There are three kinds of reciprocity: balanced, negative, and general. Balanced reciprocity is where people give with to another with the expectation of receiving a …
Finally, it's time to look at Book II of the Analects! I'm excited to see what this one has in store for me. According to the introduction, Book I was a general introduction to Confucianism, while Book II addresses 'general issues of governance.' So, I guess I'll get to see what Confucius thought of politics!
Both of these verses instruct you to lead by being steadfast in one's values. By being a beacon …
It's occurred to me that I may have been doing this endeavor incorrectly. I often try to pick out things to argue against in the Analects, which isn't how it's meant to be treated... I'm going to try and answer the question, 'How can I apply this to my life?' for each verse from now on.
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In this verse, Confucius asserts that 'trustworthiness,' which essentially means 'reliability' here, and 'reverence' are very important …
A place for me to blog my essays, random thoughts, and about the books I read.
