The Confucius chronicles / translated and edited by Wai-yee Li.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Li, Wai-yee, translator, editor.

Language:

Chinese

English

Subjects (All):

Confucius--Influence.

Confucius.

Physical Description:

xiii, 348 pages ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Confucius chronicles : a guide to the texts that made the legend

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2026]

Language Note:

In English, translated from Chinese.

Summary:

"Our ideas about Confucius come from the stories told about him. He often appears as the great sage of ancient China, handing down timeless moral precepts to his disciples and to posterity. Yet over the course of twenty-five centuries, Confucius has meant many different things to different people, representing varied views on political order, ethical behavior, and personal well-being. This book explores enduring narratives about Confucius, shedding light on his role as a symbol of cultural ideals and a fulcrum of ideological debates across eras. Wai-yee Li translates and provides commentary on a wide range of key texts, examining how Confucius's legacy was interpreted in different historical moments. Beginning with the canonical account by the historian Sima Qian, she canvasses Daoist and Legalist writings from the Warring States, a ballad about a homicidal Confucius from the Tang dynasty, an eighteenth-century anthology of jokes, modern writers such as Lu Xun, and contemporary rap music, among others. Focusing on how these stories are told, Li identifies continuities, ruptures, and unexpected connections in the representations of Confucius and considers the questions they raise. Suitable for a range of courses, this book offers new ways to understand Chinese cultural and intellectual history through Confucius and his transformations." -- Amazon.com

Contents:

Chronicling Confucius

Arguing with Confucius

Outsmarting Confucius (or his followers)

Settling scores with Confucius.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780231214827

0231214820

9780231214834

0231214839

OCLC:

1542783089