It is a common misconception that Confucius wrote the Analects. In fact, although the text is composed of his sayings, there is no singular author of the book since it includes various fragments of the teachings of Confucius’ students. Therefore, Analects is a collection of Confucius’ sayings put together by necessity. Analects are believed to have been started during the Warring States period and finished during the Han dynasty. The text was intended for instructional purposes; therefore, the intended audience varied, but primarily included young scholars and philosophers. As for the structure, Analects is comprised of 500 strips (20-15 words) combined together into 20 books, with the first ten being the ‘upper text’ and the latter ten – ‘lower text.’ Books written later tend to be full of ideas that are more authoritative. When it comes to the stylistic choices, Analects are quite approachable and personal in style, which serves an educational purpose.
The main concepts of the book include human nature, family, government, and respect for elders. According to Analects, the welfare of a nation depended on the moral character of its people. That is why the book emphasizes the importance of continuous self-improvement. There are claims that human nature is evil and “devoid of ritual and rightness” (de Bary & Bloom, 1999, p. 182). There are also parallels between the structure of a family and the government. In chapter nine, for example, says, “governing the state requires that one first bring order to one’s family” (de Bary & Bloom, 1999, p. 332). Filial piety is another important concept explored in the book. It refers to the moral obligation of respect for elders and one’s parents. This sense of virtue is paramount in Book 6.
Reference
de Bary, T., & Bloom, I. (1999). Sources of Chinese tradition (2nd ed.). Columbia UP.