Analects of Confucius

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Short dialogues on virtue (ren), ritual (li), learning, family duty and good government. It shaped East Asian ethics and education for over 2,000 years.

Traditional attribution

The sayings of Confucius (Kongzi), recorded by his disciples.

Historical scholarship

Compiled over generations by followers and finalised in the Han dynasty.

Context and curiosity

It was the core of China's imperial civil service exams until 1905.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to China (Warring States China). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 475–221 BCE and original language or script as Classical Chinese. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

Continue exploring

Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analects

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.