Confucian values

Confucius lived during China's Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period (770-221 B.C.). Some 2,500 years later, his ideas still captivate foreign scholars and Chinese citizens alike. Why? Yuan Jiahua, General Manager of Hou Wang Zhai, a professional education institution for children in Beijing, believes that Confucius' teachings perpetually help people discern between what is essential in life and what can be discarded. "The essence of Confucianism has been left [in the] culture, functioning as a guide for society's development," he said.

Wang Daqian feels the same way. He believes that despite sharply different life conditions, modern and ancient people are in fact very similar in their life philosophy. "They all inevitably face competition, pressure and anxiety in life. Knowing the [principles behind] seeking happiness, spirituality and resting contentedly is helpful in coping with daily affairs," he said.

In Yuan's view, Confucius' philosophies have different applications for people at different ages. "At Hou Wang Zhai, our job is to tell the stories in Confucius' books to children," he said. "[It] helps them to recognize the world, and cultivate a positive mentality, personality and good habits. It's a kind of emotion-based training. Confucius culture essentially helps people to feel happy and lead a happy life." For  entrepreneurs, Yuan shared another opinion: "Humanism is held in high esteem in Confucius culture. A manager of an enterprise should run his company in a humane way."

The core value of Confucius' teachings is benevolence, with an aim of fostering harmonious relationships with others. It manifests itself in five aspects: respect for individual dignity, tolerance, sticking with commitments to earn trust, drawing on wisdom to improve work performance, and treating subordinates in a grateful manner to help them achieve success.

Kong Jian, a 75th generation descendant of Confucius, explained his interpretation of benevolence: "From modern society's perspective, respect and tolerance teach people how to behave, credibility and wisdom guide people how to act, and being grateful [teaches] people how to be good governors."

 "China is now undergoing a transformation period," said Yuan Jiahua. "We need some commonly applied values to build our spiritual home. Confucius culture touches upon the ideals and dreams that every person pursues. In this sense, [this period has] picked Confucius culture."

A Modern Take on an Ancient Master

A new English translation of The Analects gives a fresh perspective on Confucius and his philosophy by Zan Jifang

Confucius (551-491 B.C.) is generally viewed as ancient China's foremost thinker. His philosophy is probably best catalogued in The Analects, a record of the sage's wisdom compiled after his death. This Confucian classic provides a shortcut to understanding Chinese culture.

A new English edition of the ancient classic (published by the Foreign Languages Press) has aroused interest in academic circles since it not only conveys Confucius' teachings and wisdom in simple form, but also provides an introduction to Confucianism in comparison with Western philosophy.

Lin Wusun, translator for the new edition, is one of the few scholars familiar with both Chinese and Western cultures and is well versed in the English language. Revising the translation five times was a process that helped to deepen his understanding of the sage, he said.

Lin's introduction covers Confucius' life, and the development and lasting influence of Confucianism on Chinese philosophy and society. He also compares Confucius' experiences with those of Socrates and Jesus, to help foreign readers better understand The Analects and Confucianism.

A number of the passages in The Analects are in dialogue form between Confucius and his disciples and his disciples' disciples. Lin supplies necessary background information on these figures and explanatory notes on terminology found in the classic. Compiled in an appendix are 30 useful quotes from Confucius, which are helpful to readers wanting to engage in further study.

Lin's work is an important addition to the English-language works on Confucius' philosophy and teachings.