The Analects

A fresh translation of one of the most recognized texts of the premodern world: The Analects is a must-read for those interested in China's past, present, and future. 

This new translation by renowned East Asian scholar Moss Roberts offers a fresh interpretation of this classic work, sharpening and clarifying Confucius's positions on ethics, politics, and social organization. While no new edition of The Analects will wholly transform our understanding of Confucius’s teachings, Roberts’s translation attends to the many nuances in the text that are often overlooked, allowing readers a richer understanding of Confucius’ historic and heroic attempt to restore order and morality to government.
 
This edition features a critical introduction by the translator as well as notes on key terms and historical figures, a topical index, and suggestions for further reading in recent English and Chinese scholarship to extend the rich contextual background of the translation. This ambitious new edition of The Analects will enhance the understanding of specialists and newcomers to Confucius alike.

Dedication and Acknowledgments 
Introductory Remarks 

Book One: Learning pursued . . . 
Book Two: Exerting political authority . . . 
Book Three: Eight rows of dancers . . . 
Book Four: Surrounded by the humane . . . 
Book Five: Gongye Chang is wived . . . 
Book Six: Our Yong here . . . 
Book Seven: I do not innovate . . . 
Book Eight: Taibo’s virtue . . . 
Book Nine: Rarely did Confucius speak . . . 
Book Ten: Home in his locale . . . 
Book Eleven: Those who first entered . . . 
Book Twelve: Yan Yuan asked about Ren . . .
Book Thirteen: Zilu asked about governing . . . 
Book Fourteen: Xian asked about shame . . .
Book Fifteen: Lord Ling asked about marshaling troops . . . 
Book Sixteen: The Jisun clan prepares to attack . . .
Book Seventeen: Yang Huo sought a meeting . . .
Book Eighteen: Weizi quit his office . . .
Book Nineteen: Zizhang said . . .
Book Twenty: Yao hath said . . . 

Appendix A: Terms and Titles
Appendix B: A Timeline for Confucius’s Life
Selected Bibliography