An Analysis of the Works by Chinese Philosopher Confucius Essay

The Wisdom of ConfuciusWhen you see a good man, try to emulate his example, and when you see a bad man, search yourself for his faults. That quote is one of the many morals stated by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, which we still live by today. The Wisdom of Confucius, edited and translated by Lin Yutang, takes the best things said and said about Confucius and put them into one three hundred page book. It follows his life, from his lowly birth in the small town of Tsou, to his death as one of the world s greatest philosophers. The book also shows his ideas and beliefs on such subjects as education, politics, and music, subjects still evident in modern day society. The book is mainly comprised of sections and chapters taken from ancient Chinese literature and translated into English by Yutang. He has also added his own commentary and a very lengthy introduction. Some of the books that Yutang used were The Analects, written by one of Confucius disciples Mencius, Spring and Autumn, written by Confucius himself, and The Book of Songs, which includes over three hundred Chinese songs and anthems edited by Confucius.Confucius was born in the small town of Tsou, Lu in 551 BC. His real name was Ch iu K ung. Ch iu literally meant hill , and he was named this because he was born with a large bump on his head. The name Confucius means K ung the master. When he was a young boy, Confucius father and mother died and were buried together at Fangshan, a town in eastern Lu. While he was still grieving a corrupt official told Confucius that the baron of his city was giving a banquet for all of the scholars and he was not invited. This upset Confucius greatly so he left Lu. On his deathbed , the baron of Lu, Li Meng, told his son, Yi Meng, that Confucius...

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