Analyzing The Analects: Confucius's Philosophy on Propriety, Religion, and Politics

The spiritual cornerstone of the oldest living and most populous civilization on Earth, The Analects by Confucius has inspired people all over the world with it's strong humanistic ideals. The book seems to be a record of various conversations between Confucius and his disciples and with the rulers of his time. These sayings, laconic and aphoristic, are difficult to interpret yet have shaped the culture of East Asia for thousands of years. Although The Analects …

…text. Confucius lived in a time of acute political and cultural turmoil. Most of his observations show a world sinking into barbarism and terror. Unable to obtain a strong political role like he desired, he reformed society and salvaged civilization through ethical debate and humanistic views. Twenty-five centuries later, we continue to read Confucius, realizing that the problems that he addresses in The Analects are just as important and relevant today as they were then.