A collection of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius, embodying his philosophy and teachings.
Confucianism: The philosophy or ideology developed by Chinese philosopher Confucius, which emphasizes the importance of personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity.
The Analects: A collection of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his followers that summarizes traditional Chinese moral, political, and philosophical beliefs.
Doctrine of the Mean: A Confucian ethical concept that teaches individuals to avoid extremes in emotions and behavior in order to maintain a proper balance and harmony in all aspects of life.
Rectification of Names: A Confucian concept that advocates for the accurate labeling and usage of words to reflect the true nature of things and to ensure proper communication.
Five Relationships: The five fundamental social relationships that lie at the core of Confucianism, which are ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, older sibling and younger sibling, and friend and friend.
Ren: A key Confucian value that means human-heartedness, benevolence, or goodness, which emphasizes the importance of treating others with kindness, respect, and empathy.
Li: A Confucian term that refers to ritual, propriety or etiquette, where individuals should understand and follow the correct norms and rules of behavior in all social interactions.
Filial Piety: A Confucian virtue that emphasizes the importance of showing respect, obedience, and care towards one's parents and elders.
Junzi: A Confucian ideal of the moral exemplar or the superior person, who embodies the values and virtues of Confucianism and serves as a role model for others.
Tian: The concept of 'Heaven' in Confucianism that represents the natural and moral order of the universe and the source of all virtue and wisdom.
The Legge translation: One of the earliest and most widely known English translations of the Analects, completed by James Legge in the late 19th century.
The D.C. Lau translation: A more modern English translation completed by D.C. Lau in the 1970s.
The Sinicized Classic: An influential Chinese commentary on the Analects that attempts to reconcile Confucianism with modern Chinese society.
The Zhuzi jiali (Master Zhu's Family Rules): A later work that takes the Analects as its primary text and uses it to codify and specify proper conduct for Confucian scholars.
The Neo-Confucian interpretation: A philosophical movement that emerged in China during the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) and interpreted the Analects and other Confucian texts as a systematic moral and metaphysical system.