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Who is Confucius?
The Analects is a collection of words by Confucius, who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of China about 2,500 years ago.
Confucius is a great teacher who is revered as the “founder of Confucianism. He opened a private school with as many as 3,000 disciples. In his native China, of course, and in Japan as well, he is enshrined as the “god of learning” at Yushima Seido in Tokyo, Kodokan in Mito, and many other places throughout the country. Confucius’ conversations and answers to questions were passed down from disciple to disciple, and were compiled into the “Analects” several hundred years after his death.
What is the Analects of the Argument?
The number of chapters in the “Analects” is about 500 or so, with the shortest being five, and the longest being over 300 characters. Many scholars have added a mountain of interpretations to such a compact book, and since the “Analects” contains far more notes than the original text, many people have the perception that it is a large work.
Because of these annotations, Confucius’ ideas are sometimes misunderstood. For example, there is the famous phrase, “You, you are; vassal, you are; father, you are; son, you are. For example, there is the famous phrase, “A sovereign should be like a sovereign, a vassal like a vassal, a father like a father, a child like a child,” which means, “A sovereign should serve as a vassal without being a sovereign, and a vassal should serve as a vassal without being a father, and a child should serve as a child. In other words, the sovereign must serve as a vassal, even if he does not act like a sovereign. In other words, a sovereign should serve as a vassal even if he is not a sovereign, and a child should serve as a child even if he is not a father.
This kind of distortion flourished about 400 years after Confucius, during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, who attempted to shift from a military rule to a civilian rule.
As a result, the original meaning of Confucius’ teachings was abandoned in favor of the rulers. This is the so-called “Confucian interpretation. Confucianism had already been introduced to Japan by the time of Prince Shotoku, but it flourished especially during the Edo period (1603-1867), when it was greatly studied as a way of preparing the samurai class. Since Japan was a feudal society at the time, the “Confucian interpretation” fit perfectly.
The image of Confucianism is that of old-fashioned, preachy preaching about loyalty, filial piety, etc. Of course, these elements are not present at all. Of course, such elements are not entirely absent, but they are not the whole story, and Confucianism as we know it today is quite different from what Confucius originally thought.
Before I discuss the Analects here, I will discuss a sort of legend about the book called the Analects. First of all, the Analects is a book in which Confucius’ words are simply listed, not compiled statistically according to a specific theme or chronological order. They are divided into ten equal parts and named “volumes,” and each volume is further divided into two equal parts and named “arcs. In other words, ten volumes and twenty psalms. The names of words and people, such as “Gakuji,” “Tamemasa,” and “Shiro,” are taken from the chapters and phrases at the beginning of each volume to form the name of the respective volume.
Because of such a structure, the volumes, sections, and sequences of the “Analects” have little meaning. Therefore, even if you read the book from the beginning, it is not interesting at all. You will not be able to understand what the Analects is trying to say, and you will gradually get tired of all the contradictions in what Confucius says and what Confucius says. This is the trap that people often fall into when reading the Analects.
When reading the Analects, you should choose a theme, such as “life,” “family,” or “society,” and rearrange it accordingly, so that what Confucius says will be organized and easier to understand.
For example, one prominent example is “Analects and Arithmetic” by Eiichi Shibusawa.
This is a description of management philosophy for balancing the pursuit of profit and contribution to society, following the teachings of Confucius (Analects of Confucius). Eiichi Shibusawa spoke of this philosophy for future entrepreneurs, making it a must-read management philosophy bible for managers and business people for the modern era.
Thus, one of the characteristics of the “Analects” is that it can be edited in any number of different ways. The reason is that “The Analects” is not just a book that teaches moral principles, but a comprehensive “anthropology” that refers to all aspects of human life. In other words, it is a messy, but all-encompassing study of everything thrown into the mix.
Confucianism is currently very popular in China, where it originated, as a trump card to strengthen the Communist Party’s power, and is attracting attention in a kind of “restoration” way. Even without such political agenda, the book provides hints for the non-Chinese in Japan and abroad on how to live their own lives.
From NHK’s “100 minutes de Meitaku” Books Confucius: The Analects of Confucius.
NHK "100 minutes de Meitaku" Books: Argument from the Analects of Confucius
Introduction: A Comprehensive Book of "Anthropology
Chapter 1: The Most Important Thing in Life
Confucius was not a withered old man.
Live a straight life!
The process is more important than the result
Self-centeredness is not a chicago
A Cheering Song for the Young
Chapter 2: Think for Yourself
Correct a turbulent world through education
Encouragement of learning
Think from the perspective of the past
Tutoring Schools?
Recommendation of moderation
Chapter 3: Leadership Theory to Win People's Hearts and Minds
Conditions for a Good Leader
Compassion and consistency of words and deeds
Think that people are not all-powerful
The Hello Work called Confucius School
Chemtai Opinion Watch
Chapter 4: Have Faith and Overcome Adversity
Unprivileged birth
A Life Full of Setbacks
Don't ask God for help
Burn in Adversity
Have a purpose in life
Once again in the age of the "whole me
Dialogue: Kyodo Saku and Tsuneo Sasaki, "Read the Analects and You'll See Yourself Today
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