**VERY RARE** THE ONLY ONE OF THIS EDITION AVAILABLE FOR SALE ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET!!!
LAST1-RARE c1950"THE FOUR BOOKS"CONFUCIAN ANALECTS-LEGGE,WORKS MENCIUS+CONFUCIUS
The Four Books: The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Confucian Analects, The Works of Mencius
Legge, James
Published by The International Publication Society , Hop Kuen Book Co., Hong Kong
Good Condition Considering its age. Circa 1950. There is tape on title page. Original publication from The International Publication Society , Hop Kuen Book Co., Hong Kong. Pages age tanned.
No publication date given....appears circa 1950.
In English and Chinese .
Softcover, Clean.
This is a very rare edition--I can't find any others for sale anywhere!!
Contains: The Great Learning, ....The Doctrine of the Mean, ...Confucian Analects, ....The Works of Mencius
Translated by James Legge
The four books: Confucian analects, The great learning, The doctrine of the mean, and The works of Mencius
Description
These four Chinese Classics are key texts of Confucianism, the traditional state religion of feudal China. These are some of the few Chinese texts which survived a disastrous book-burning in 213 B.C.E. by the Emperor Ch'in Shih Huang
-----
REVIEW
6 out of 5 St*rs!!!
YES IT IS THAT GOOD!!!
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from The Paragon Reprint Series.
“Legge has made Confucius speak English more persuasively than any translator to date. His achievement is one of simplicity. . . . Legge sees his task as making the Confucius of the Analects fully persuasive again. He does this brilliantly.”
—Stephen Owen, The New Republic
This Edition shows the legendary figure of Confucius, and the Analects (or Lunyu), the single most influential book ascribed to the Master's circle of disciples, within their evolving ethical, cultural, and political contexts. Legge's acclaimed translation and notes are accompanied beautiful scripts!!!
------
About this item
TAN SOFTCOVER circa 1950
Product Information
Publisher : The International Publication Society,
Hop Kuen Book Company
Shipping Weight 3 pounds
.
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
THE FOUR BOOKS
via Wikipedia
Four Books and Five Classics
(Redirected from Four Books)
"Four Books" redirects here. For the Shi`a Muslim collections of hadiths, see The Four Books.
"Sishu" redirects here. For the tree, see Dalbergia sissoo.
Four Books and Five Classics
Traditional Chinese 四書五經
Simplified Chinese 四书五经
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Sìshū wǔjīng
Wade–Giles Ssu-shu wu-ching
Wu
Romanization Si-sy ngo-king
Hakka
Romanization Si-su ng-gin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Sei-sü ng-ging
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ Sù-su ngóo-king
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese Sìj-sho ngú-keng
The Four Books and Five Classics (Chinese: 四書五經; pinyin: Sìshū wǔjīng) are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.[1]
Four Books Edit
The Four Books (Chinese: 四書; pinyin: Sìshū) are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism. They were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty to serve as general introduction to Confucian thought, and they were, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, made the core of the official curriculum for the civil service examinations.[2] They are:
Title (English) Title (Chinese) Brief Description
Great Learning 大學 Originally one chapter in the Book of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.
It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked.
Doctrine of the Mean 中庸 Another chapter in Book of Rites, attributed to Confucius' grandson Zisi. The purpose of this small, 33-chapter book is to demonstrate the usefulness of a golden way to gain perfect virtue. It focuses on the Way (道) that is prescribed by a heavenly mandate not only to the ruler but to everyone. To follow these heavenly instructions by learning and teaching will automatically result in a Confucian virtue. Because Heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows what is the right way.
Analects 論語 A compilation of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. Since Confucius's time, the Analects has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. The Imperial examinations, started in the Jin dynasty and eventually abolished with the founding of the Republic of China, emphasized Confucian studies and expected candidates to quote and apply the words of Confucius in their essays.
Mencius 孟子 A collection of conversations of the scholar Mencius with kings of his time. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius, which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues with extensive prose.
Five Classics
Authorship of the Classics
See also Edit
Chinese classics
Chinese literature
Thirteen Classics
Notes
-----
.
.
Terms and phrases
1st tone 2nd tone 3rd tone 4th tone according Analects ancient archery asked benevolence Book of Poetry brother called Ch'i Chaou K'e chap Chapter character Chau Choo Chow Chu Hsi Chung Chung Yung cius clause Comp Confucius Confucius's disciples disciples of Confucius duke dynasty emperor empire father ffii filial piety ft ft fucius Heaven Hwan Kaou King Wan kingdom learning Master meaning Mencius replied Mencius's ment Middle Kingdom mind minister nature paragraph parents prince principles proper reference righteousness ruler rules of propriety sage scholar Shang dynasty Shoo-king Shun sincerity sovereign superior supposed T'ang things tion translation Ts'e Ts'oo Tsang tsze Tsze-kung Tsze-lu verb virtue virtuous wish words Yaou Yen Yuan Yin dynasty phrases
Analects ancient Arthur Waley asked century B.C.E. Chapter character Chen Cheng China Classics commentaries commentators Confucian Confucian aesthetics Confucius’s context courtesy name culture death disciple of Confucius Duke dynasty early Chinese ethical Fei Mu film follow gentleman grand officer Guan Zhong Heaven human imperial interpretation James Legge Ji Family junzi Kang Kang Youwei Kongzi Kongzi jiayu later learning Legge Legge’s Li’s Lord Lunyu man’s meaning Mencius Meng Mengzi Ming minister modern moral mourning one’s original passage person philosophical Poems political Pound Qian Qing Qufu Ran Qiu readers reading rites and music ritual ruler sacrifice sage scholars Shandong Shang Shanghai Shuliang Sima social teachings tradition translation University virtue Waley Waley’s Wang Western words Xi’s Xunzi Yuan Zai Yu Zang Zhang Zhou Zhu Xi Zhuangzi Zigong Zilu Zixia Zizhang Zuozhuan
.
.
-----
.
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
James Legge
Missionary to China
Born 20 December 1815
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died 29 November 1897 (aged 81)
Oxford, England
Alma mater King's College, Aberdeen
Religion Congregationalist
Chinese name
Chinese 理雅各
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yǎgè
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Léih Ngáah-gok
James Legge (/lɛɡ/; 20 December 1815 – 29 November 1897) was a Scottish sinologist, missionary, and scholar, best known as an early and prolific translator of Classical Chinese texts into English. Legge served as a representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong (1840–1873) and was the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876–1897). In association with Max Müller he prepared the monumental Sacred Books of the East series, published in 50 volumes between 1879 and 1891.
Life Edit
James Legge was born at Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He enrolled in Aberdeen Grammar School at age 13[1] and then King's College, Aberdeen at age 15.[2] After studying at the Highbury Theological College, London, he went in 1839 as a missionary to China, but remained at Malacca three years, in charge of the Anglo-Chinese College there. The College was subsequently moved to Hong Kong, where Legge lived for nearly thirty years. A Chinese Christian, Keuh Agong accompanied Legge when he moved in 1844. He returned home to Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in 1846–7, taking with him three Chinese students. Legge and the students were received by Queen Victoria before his return to Hong Kong.
Legge and his three Chinese students
Legge married twice, first to Mary Isabella Morison (1816–1852) and after she died to a widow, Hannah Mary Willetts (d 1881, née Johnstone).
Translating the classics Edit
Convinced of the need for missionaries to be able to comprehend the ideas and culture of the Chinese, he began in 1841 a translation in many volumes of the Chinese classics, a monumental task that he completed a few years before his death. During his residence in Hong Kong, he translated Chinese classic literature into English with the help of Wang Tao and Hong Rengan, among others. He was the headmaster at Ying Wa College in Hong Kong from 1839 to 1867, and pastor of the Union Church there from 1844 to 1867.
He was third and final editor of the Chinese Serial, the first Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong. The paper closed in May 1856.
In 1867, Legge returned to Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where he invited Wang Tao to join him, and received his LLD from the University of Aberdeen in 1870. While in Scotland, he also revisited his native burgh, Huntly, accompanied by Wang Tao. He then returned to Hong Kong as pastor at Union Church from 1870 to 1873. While in Hong Kong he published The She king (Classic of Poetry) in 1871 which according to Peter France is the first substantial volume of Chinese poetry in English translation still in use. The work underwent a new edition in 1876 in verse.[3]
He took a long trip to North China, beginning 2 April 1873 in Shanghai, arriving at Tianjin by boat, then travelling by mule cart and arriving in Peking on 16 April 1873, where he stayed at the London Missionary Society headquarters. He visited the Great Wall, Ming Tombs and the Temple of Heaven, where he felt compelled to take off his shoes with holy awe. He left Peking, accompanied by Joseph Edkins, and headed for Shandong by mule cart to visit Jinan, Taishan, where they ascended the sacred Mount Tai, carried by four men on chairs. Leaving Mount Tai on 15 May, they visited Confucius Temple and the Forest of Confucius at Qufu, where he climbed to the top of the Confucius' burial mound. Legge returned to Shanghai by way of the Grand Canal, and thence to England via Japan and the USA in 1873.[4]
Oxford professor Edit
In 1875 he was named Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and in 1876 assumed the new Chair of Chinese Language and Literature at Oxford, where he attracted few students to his lectures but worked hard for some 20 years in his study at 3 Keble Terrace, on his translations of the Chinese classics. According to an anonymous contemporary obituary in the Pall Mall Gazette, Legge was in his study every morning at three o'clock, winter and summer, having retired to bed at ten. When he got up in the morning the first thing he did was to make himself a cup of tea over a spirit-lamp. Then he worked away at his translations while all the household slept.
In his book The religions of China: Confucianism and Tâoism described and compared with Christianity published in 1880, he wrote that he encountered a mosque in Canton which had a placard denouncing footbinding, saying Islam did not allow it since it constituted violating the creation of God.[5]
Legge was an ardent opponent of Britain's opium policy, and was a founding member of the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade.[6]
In addition to his other work Legge wrote The Life and Teaching of Confucius (1867); The Life and Teaching of Mencius (1875); The Religions of China (1880); and other books on Chinese literature and religion.
Legge was given an honorary MA, University of Oxford, and LLD, University of Edinburgh, 1884. Legge died at Oxford in 1897 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. Many of his manuscripts and letters are archived at the School of Oriental and African Studies.[7]
Legge originally planned his Chinese Classics as seven volumes, but his translations of the I Ching and Book of Rites (and several others) were instead included in the Sacred Books of the East series edited by Max Müller (Oxford: Clarendon Press):
-----
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
THE FOUR BOOKS
via Wikipedia
Four Books and Five Classics
(Redirected from Four Books)
"Four Books" redirects here. For the Shi`a Muslim collections of hadiths, see The Four Books.
"Sishu" redirects here. For the tree, see Dalbergia sissoo.
Four Books and Five Classics
Traditional Chinese 四書五經
Simplified Chinese 四书五经
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Sìshū wǔjīng
Wade–Giles Ssu-shu wu-ching
Wu
Romanization Si-sy ngo-king
Hakka
Romanization Si-su ng-gin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Sei-sü ng-ging
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ Sù-su ngóo-king
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese Sìj-sho ngú-keng
The Four Books and Five Classics (Chinese: 四書五經; pinyin: Sìshū wǔjīng) are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.[1]
Four Books Edit
The Four Books (Chinese: 四書; pinyin: Sìshū) are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism. They were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty to serve as general introduction to Confucian thought, and they were, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, made the core of the official curriculum for the civil service examinations.[2] They are:
Title (English) Title (Chinese) Brief Description
Great Learning 大學 Originally one chapter in the Book of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.
It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked.
Doctrine of the Mean 中庸 Another chapter in Book of Rites, attributed to Confucius' grandson Zisi. The purpose of this small, 33-chapter book is to demonstrate the usefulness of a golden way to gain perfect virtue. It focuses on the Way (道) that is prescribed by a heavenly mandate not only to the ruler but to everyone. To follow these heavenly instructions by learning and teaching will automatically result in a Confucian virtue. Because Heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows what is the right way.
Analects 論語 A compilation of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. Since Confucius's time, the Analects has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. The Imperial examinations, started in the Jin dynasty and eventually abolished with the founding of the Republic of China, emphasized Confucian studies and expected candidates to quote and apply the words of Confucius in their essays.
Mencius 孟子 A collection of conversations of the scholar Mencius with kings of his time. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius, which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues with extensive prose.
Five Classics
Authorship of the Classics
See also Edit
Chinese classics
Chinese literature
Thirteen Classics
Notes
-----
.
.
Terms and phrases
1st tone 2nd tone 3rd tone 4th tone according Analects ancient archery asked benevolence Book of Poetry brother called Ch'i Chaou K'e chap Chapter character Chau Choo Chow Chu Hsi Chung Chung Yung cius clause Comp Confucius Confucius's disciples disciples of Confucius duke dynasty emperor empire father ffii filial piety ft ft fucius Heaven Hwan Kaou King Wan kingdom learning Master meaning Mencius replied Mencius's ment Middle Kingdom mind minister nature paragraph parents prince principles proper reference righteousness ruler rules of propriety sage scholar Shang dynasty Shoo-king Shun sincerity sovereign superior supposed T'ang things tion translation Ts'e Ts'oo Tsang tsze Tsze-kung Tsze-lu verb virtue virtuous wish words Yaou Yen Yuan Yin dynasty phrases
Analects ancient Arthur Waley asked century B.C.E. Chapter character Chen Cheng China Classics commentaries commentators Confucian Confucian aesthetics Confucius’s context courtesy name culture death disciple of Confucius Duke dynasty early Chinese ethical Fei Mu film follow gentleman grand officer Guan Zhong Heaven human imperial interpretation James Legge Ji Family junzi Kang Kang Youwei Kongzi Kongzi jiayu later learning Legge Legge’s Li’s Lord Lunyu man’s meaning Mencius Meng Mengzi Ming minister modern moral mourning one’s original passage person philosophical Poems political Pound Qian Qing Qufu Ran Qiu readers reading rites and music ritual ruler sacrifice sage scholars Shandong Shang Shanghai Shuliang Sima social teachings tradition translation University virtue Waley Waley’s Wang Western words Xi’s Xunzi Yuan Zai Yu Zang Zhang Zhou Zhu Xi Zhuangzi Zigong Zilu Zixia Zizhang Zuozhuan
.
.
-----
.
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
James Legge
Missionary to China
Born 20 December 1815
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died 29 November 1897 (aged 81)
Oxford, England
Alma mater King's College, Aberdeen
Religion Congregationalist
Chinese name
Chinese 理雅各
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yǎgè
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Léih Ngáah-gok
James Legge (/lɛɡ/; 20 December 1815 – 29 November 1897) was a Scottish sinologist, missionary, and scholar, best known as an early and prolific translator of Classical Chinese texts into English. Legge served as a representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong (1840–1873) and was the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876–1897). In association with Max Müller he prepared the monumental Sacred Books of the East series, published in 50 volumes between 1879 and 1891.
Life Edit
James Legge was born at Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He enrolled in Aberdeen Grammar School at age 13[1] and then King's College, Aberdeen at age 15.[2] After studying at the Highbury Theological College, London, he went in 1839 as a missionary to China, but remained at Malacca three years, in charge of the Anglo-Chinese College there. The College was subsequently moved to Hong Kong, where Legge lived for nearly thirty years. A Chinese Christian, Keuh Agong accompanied Legge when he moved in 1844. He returned home to Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in 1846–7, taking with him three Chinese students. Legge and the students were received by Queen Victoria before his return to Hong Kong.
Legge and his three Chinese students
Legge married twice, first to Mary Isabella Morison (1816–1852) and after she died to a widow, Hannah Mary Willetts (d 1881, née Johnstone).
Translating the classics Edit
Convinced of the need for missionaries to be able to comprehend the ideas and culture of the Chinese, he began in 1841 a translation in many volumes of the Chinese classics, a monumental task that he completed a few years before his death. During his residence in Hong Kong, he translated Chinese classic literature into English with the help of Wang Tao and Hong Rengan, among others. He was the headmaster at Ying Wa College in Hong Kong from 1839 to 1867, and pastor of the Union Church there from 1844 to 1867.
He was third and final editor of the Chinese Serial, the first Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong. The paper closed in May 1856.
In 1867, Legge returned to Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where he invited Wang Tao to join him, and received his LLD from the University of Aberdeen in 1870. While in Scotland, he also revisited his native burgh, Huntly, accompanied by Wang Tao. He then returned to Hong Kong as pastor at Union Church from 1870 to 1873. While in Hong Kong he published The She king (Classic of Poetry) in 1871 which according to Peter France is the first substantial volume of Chinese poetry in English translation still in use. The work underwent a new edition in 1876 in verse.[3]
He took a long trip to North China, beginning 2 April 1873 in Shanghai, arriving at Tianjin by boat, then travelling by mule cart and arriving in Peking on 16 April 1873, where he stayed at the London Missionary Society headquarters. He visited the Great Wall, Ming Tombs and the Temple of Heaven, where he felt compelled to take off his shoes with holy awe. He left Peking, accompanied by Joseph Edkins, and headed for Shandong by mule cart to visit Jinan, Taishan, where they ascended the sacred Mount Tai, carried by four men on chairs. Leaving Mount Tai on 15 May, they visited Confucius Temple and the Forest of Confucius at Qufu, where he climbed to the top of the Confucius' burial mound. Legge returned to Shanghai by way of the Grand Canal, and thence to England via Japan and the USA in 1873.[4]
Oxford professor Edit
In 1875 he was named Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and in 1876 assumed the new Chair of Chinese Language and Literature at Oxford, where he attracted few students to his lectures but worked hard for some 20 years in his study at 3 Keble Terrace, on his translations of the Chinese classics. According to an anonymous contemporary obituary in the Pall Mall Gazette, Legge was in his study every morning at three o'clock, winter and summer, having retired to bed at ten. When he got up in the morning the first thing he did was to make himself a cup of tea over a spirit-lamp. Then he worked away at his translations while all the household slept.
In his book The religions of China: Confucianism and Tâoism described and compared with Christianity published in 1880, he wrote that he encountered a mosque in Canton which had a placard denouncing footbinding, saying Islam did not allow it since it constituted violating the creation of God.[5]
Legge was an ardent opponent of Britain's opium policy, and was a founding member of the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade.[6]
In addition to his other work Legge wrote The Life and Teaching of Confucius (1867); The Life and Teaching of Mencius (1875); The Religions of China (1880); and other books on Chinese literature and religion.
Legge was given an honorary MA, University of Oxford, and LLD, University of Edinburgh, 1884. Legge died at Oxford in 1897 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. Many of his manuscripts and letters are archived at the School of Oriental and African Studies.[7]
Legge originally planned his Chinese Classics as seven volumes, but his translations of the I Ching and Book of Rites (and several others) were instead included in the Sacred Books of the East series edited by Max Müller (Oxford: Clarendon Press):
THANKS FOR LOOKING!
LAST1-RARE c1950"THE FOUR BOOKS"CONFUCIAN ANALECTS-LEGGE,WORKS MENCIUS+CONFUCIUS
The Four Books: The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Confucian Analects, The Works of Mencius
Legge, James
Published by The International Publication Society , Hop Kuen Book Co., Hong Kong
Good Condition Considering its age. Circa 1950. There is tape on title page. Original publication from The International Publication Society , Hop Kuen Book Co., Hong Kong. Pages age tanned.
No publication date given....appears circa 1950.
In English and Chinese .
Softcover, Clean.
This is a very rare edition--I can't find any others for sale anywhere!!
Contains: The Great Learning, ....The Doctrine of the Mean, ...Confucian Analects, ....The Works of Mencius
Translated by James Legge
The four books: Confucian analects, The great learning, The doctrine of the mean, and The works of Mencius
Description
These four Chinese Classics are key texts of Confucianism, the traditional state religion of feudal China. These are some of the few Chinese texts which survived a disastrous book-burning in 213 B.C.E. by the Emperor Ch'in Shih Huang
-----
REVIEW
6 out of 5 St*rs!!!
YES IT IS THAT GOOD!!!
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from The Paragon Reprint Series.
“Legge has made Confucius speak English more persuasively than any translator to date. His achievement is one of simplicity. . . . Legge sees his task as making the Confucius of the Analects fully persuasive again. He does this brilliantly.”
—Stephen Owen, The New Republic
This Edition shows the legendary figure of Confucius, and the Analects (or Lunyu), the single most influential book ascribed to the Master's circle of disciples, within their evolving ethical, cultural, and political contexts. Legge's acclaimed translation and notes are accompanied beautiful scripts!!!
------
About this item
TAN SOFTCOVER circa 1950
Product Information
Publisher : The International Publication Society,
Hop Kuen Book Company
Shipping Weight 3 pounds
.
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
THE FOUR BOOKS
via Wikipedia
Four Books and Five Classics
(Redirected from Four Books)
"Four Books" redirects here. For the Shi`a Muslim collections of hadiths, see The Four Books.
"Sishu" redirects here. For the tree, see Dalbergia sissoo.
Four Books and Five Classics
Traditional Chinese 四書五經
Simplified Chinese 四书五经
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Sìshū wǔjīng
Wade–Giles Ssu-shu wu-ching
Wu
Romanization Si-sy ngo-king
Hakka
Romanization Si-su ng-gin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Sei-sü ng-ging
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ Sù-su ngóo-king
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese Sìj-sho ngú-keng
The Four Books and Five Classics (Chinese: 四書五經; pinyin: Sìshū wǔjīng) are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.[1]
Four Books Edit
The Four Books (Chinese: 四書; pinyin: Sìshū) are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism. They were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty to serve as general introduction to Confucian thought, and they were, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, made the core of the official curriculum for the civil service examinations.[2] They are:
Title (English) Title (Chinese) Brief Description
Great Learning 大學 Originally one chapter in the Book of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.
It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked.
Doctrine of the Mean 中庸 Another chapter in Book of Rites, attributed to Confucius' grandson Zisi. The purpose of this small, 33-chapter book is to demonstrate the usefulness of a golden way to gain perfect virtue. It focuses on the Way (道) that is prescribed by a heavenly mandate not only to the ruler but to everyone. To follow these heavenly instructions by learning and teaching will automatically result in a Confucian virtue. Because Heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows what is the right way.
Analects 論語 A compilation of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. Since Confucius's time, the Analects has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. The Imperial examinations, started in the Jin dynasty and eventually abolished with the founding of the Republic of China, emphasized Confucian studies and expected candidates to quote and apply the words of Confucius in their essays.
Mencius 孟子 A collection of conversations of the scholar Mencius with kings of his time. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius, which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues with extensive prose.
Five Classics
Authorship of the Classics
See also Edit
Chinese classics
Chinese literature
Thirteen Classics
Notes
-----
.
.
Terms and phrases
1st tone 2nd tone 3rd tone 4th tone according Analects ancient archery asked benevolence Book of Poetry brother called Ch'i Chaou K'e chap Chapter character Chau Choo Chow Chu Hsi Chung Chung Yung cius clause Comp Confucius Confucius's disciples disciples of Confucius duke dynasty emperor empire father ffii filial piety ft ft fucius Heaven Hwan Kaou King Wan kingdom learning Master meaning Mencius replied Mencius's ment Middle Kingdom mind minister nature paragraph parents prince principles proper reference righteousness ruler rules of propriety sage scholar Shang dynasty Shoo-king Shun sincerity sovereign superior supposed T'ang things tion translation Ts'e Ts'oo Tsang tsze Tsze-kung Tsze-lu verb virtue virtuous wish words Yaou Yen Yuan Yin dynasty phrases
Analects ancient Arthur Waley asked century B.C.E. Chapter character Chen Cheng China Classics commentaries commentators Confucian Confucian aesthetics Confucius’s context courtesy name culture death disciple of Confucius Duke dynasty early Chinese ethical Fei Mu film follow gentleman grand officer Guan Zhong Heaven human imperial interpretation James Legge Ji Family junzi Kang Kang Youwei Kongzi Kongzi jiayu later learning Legge Legge’s Li’s Lord Lunyu man’s meaning Mencius Meng Mengzi Ming minister modern moral mourning one’s original passage person philosophical Poems political Pound Qian Qing Qufu Ran Qiu readers reading rites and music ritual ruler sacrifice sage scholars Shandong Shang Shanghai Shuliang Sima social teachings tradition translation University virtue Waley Waley’s Wang Western words Xi’s Xunzi Yuan Zai Yu Zang Zhang Zhou Zhu Xi Zhuangzi Zigong Zilu Zixia Zizhang Zuozhuan
.
.
-----
.
.
SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
James Legge
Missionary to China
Born 20 December 1815
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died 29 November 1897 (aged 81)
Oxford, England
Alma mater King's College, Aberdeen
Religion Congregationalist
Chinese name
Chinese 理雅各
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yǎgè
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Léih Ngáah-gok
James Legge (/lɛɡ/; 20 December 1815 – 29 November 1897) was a Scottish sinologist, missionary, and scholar, best known as an early and prolific translator of Classical Chinese texts into English. Legge served as a representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong (1840–1873) and was the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876–1897). In association with Max Müller he prepared the monumental Sacred Books of the East series, published in 50 volumes between 1879 and 1891.
Life Edit
James Legge was born at Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He enrolled in Aberdeen Grammar School at age 13[1] and then King's College, Aberdeen at age 15.[2] After studying at the Highbury Theological College, London, he went in 1839 as a missionary to China, but remained at Malacca three years, in charge of the Anglo-Chinese College there. The College was subsequently moved to Hong Kong, where Legge lived for nearly thirty years. A Chinese Christian, Keuh Agong accompanied Legge when he moved in 1844. He returned home to Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in 1846–7, taking with him three Chinese students. Legge and the students were received by Queen Victoria before his return to Hong Kong.
Legge and his three Chinese students
Legge married twice, first to Mary Isabella Morison (1816–1852) and after she died to a widow, Hannah Mary Willetts (d 1881, née Johnstone).
Translating the classics Edit
Convinced of the need for missionaries to be able to comprehend the ideas and culture of the Chinese, he began in 1841 a translation in many volumes of the Chinese classics, a monumental task that he completed a few years before his death. During his residence in Hong Kong, he translated Chinese classic literature into English with the help of Wang Tao and Hong Rengan, among others. He was the headmaster at Ying Wa College in Hong Kong from 1839 to 1867, and pastor of the Union Church there from 1844 to 1867.
He was third and final editor of the Chinese Serial, the first Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong. The paper closed in May 1856.
In 1867, Legge returned to Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where he invited Wang Tao to join him, and received his LLD from the University of Aberdeen in 1870. While in Scotland, he also revisited his native burgh, Huntly, accompanied by Wang Tao. He then returned to Hong Kong as pastor at Union Church from 1870 to 1873. While in Hong Kong he published The She king (Classic of Poetry) in 1871 which according to Peter France is the first substantial volume of Chinese poetry in English translation still in use. The work underwent a new edition in 1876 in verse.[3]
He took a long trip to North China, beginning 2 April 1873 in Shanghai, arriving at Tianjin by boat, then travelling by mule cart and arriving in Peking on 16 April 1873, where he stayed at the London Missionary Society headquarters. He visited the Great Wall, Ming Tombs and the Temple of Heaven, where he felt compelled to take off his shoes with holy awe. He left Peking, accompanied by Joseph Edkins, and headed for Shandong by mule cart to visit Jinan, Taishan, where they ascended the sacred Mount Tai, carried by four men on chairs. Leaving Mount Tai on 15 May, they visited Confucius Temple and the Forest of Confucius at Qufu, where he climbed to the top of the Confucius' burial mound. Legge returned to Shanghai by way of the Grand Canal, and thence to England via Japan and the USA in 1873.[4]
Oxford professor Edit
In 1875 he was named Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and in 1876 assumed the new Chair of Chinese Language and Literature at Oxford, where he attracted few students to his lectures but worked hard for some 20 years in his study at 3 Keble Terrace, on his translations of the Chinese classics. According to an anonymous contemporary obituary in the Pall Mall Gazette, Legge was in his study every morning at three o'clock, winter and summer, having retired to bed at ten. When he got up in the morning the first thing he did was to make himself a cup of tea over a spirit-lamp. Then he worked away at his translations while all the household slept.
In his book The religions of China: Confucianism and Tâoism described and compared with Christianity published in 1880, he wrote that he encountered a mosque in Canton which had a placard denouncing footbinding, saying Islam did not allow it since it constituted violating the creation of God.[5]
Legge was an ardent opponent of Britain's opium policy, and was a founding member of the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade.[6]
In addition to his other work Legge wrote The Life and Teaching of Confucius (1867); The Life and Teaching of Mencius (1875); The Religions of China (1880); and other books on Chinese literature and religion.
Legge was given an honorary MA, University of Oxford, and LLD, University of Edinburgh, 1884. Legge died at Oxford in 1897 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. Many of his manuscripts and letters are archived at the School of Oriental and African Studies.[7]
Legge originally planned his Chinese Classics as seven volumes, but his translations of the I Ching and Book of Rites (and several others) were instead included in the Sacred Books of the East series edited by Max Müller (Oxford: Clarendon Press):
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SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
THE FOUR BOOKS
via Wikipedia
Four Books and Five Classics
(Redirected from Four Books)
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Four Books and Five Classics
Traditional Chinese 四書五經
Simplified Chinese 四书五经
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Sìshū wǔjīng
Wade–Giles Ssu-shu wu-ching
Wu
Romanization Si-sy ngo-king
Hakka
Romanization Si-su ng-gin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Sei-sü ng-ging
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ Sù-su ngóo-king
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese Sìj-sho ngú-keng
The Four Books and Five Classics (Chinese: 四書五經; pinyin: Sìshū wǔjīng) are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.[1]
Four Books Edit
The Four Books (Chinese: 四書; pinyin: Sìshū) are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism. They were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty to serve as general introduction to Confucian thought, and they were, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, made the core of the official curriculum for the civil service examinations.[2] They are:
Title (English) Title (Chinese) Brief Description
Great Learning 大學 Originally one chapter in the Book of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.
It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked.
Doctrine of the Mean 中庸 Another chapter in Book of Rites, attributed to Confucius' grandson Zisi. The purpose of this small, 33-chapter book is to demonstrate the usefulness of a golden way to gain perfect virtue. It focuses on the Way (道) that is prescribed by a heavenly mandate not only to the ruler but to everyone. To follow these heavenly instructions by learning and teaching will automatically result in a Confucian virtue. Because Heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows what is the right way.
Analects 論語 A compilation of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. Since Confucius's time, the Analects has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. The Imperial examinations, started in the Jin dynasty and eventually abolished with the founding of the Republic of China, emphasized Confucian studies and expected candidates to quote and apply the words of Confucius in their essays.
Mencius 孟子 A collection of conversations of the scholar Mencius with kings of his time. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius, which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues with extensive prose.
Five Classics
Authorship of the Classics
See also Edit
Chinese classics
Chinese literature
Thirteen Classics
Notes
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Terms and phrases
1st tone 2nd tone 3rd tone 4th tone according Analects ancient archery asked benevolence Book of Poetry brother called Ch'i Chaou K'e chap Chapter character Chau Choo Chow Chu Hsi Chung Chung Yung cius clause Comp Confucius Confucius's disciples disciples of Confucius duke dynasty emperor empire father ffii filial piety ft ft fucius Heaven Hwan Kaou King Wan kingdom learning Master meaning Mencius replied Mencius's ment Middle Kingdom mind minister nature paragraph parents prince principles proper reference righteousness ruler rules of propriety sage scholar Shang dynasty Shoo-king Shun sincerity sovereign superior supposed T'ang things tion translation Ts'e Ts'oo Tsang tsze Tsze-kung Tsze-lu verb virtue virtuous wish words Yaou Yen Yuan Yin dynasty phrases
Analects ancient Arthur Waley asked century B.C.E. Chapter character Chen Cheng China Classics commentaries commentators Confucian Confucian aesthetics Confucius’s context courtesy name culture death disciple of Confucius Duke dynasty early Chinese ethical Fei Mu film follow gentleman grand officer Guan Zhong Heaven human imperial interpretation James Legge Ji Family junzi Kang Kang Youwei Kongzi Kongzi jiayu later learning Legge Legge’s Li’s Lord Lunyu man’s meaning Mencius Meng Mengzi Ming minister modern moral mourning one’s original passage person philosophical Poems political Pound Qian Qing Qufu Ran Qiu readers reading rites and music ritual ruler sacrifice sage scholars Shandong Shang Shanghai Shuliang Sima social teachings tradition translation University virtue Waley Waley’s Wang Western words Xi’s Xunzi Yuan Zai Yu Zang Zhang Zhou Zhu Xi Zhuangzi Zigong Zilu Zixia Zizhang Zuozhuan
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SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT
James Legge
Missionary to China
Born 20 December 1815
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died 29 November 1897 (aged 81)
Oxford, England
Alma mater King's College, Aberdeen
Religion Congregationalist
Chinese name
Chinese 理雅各
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yǎgè
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Léih Ngáah-gok
James Legge (/lɛɡ/; 20 December 1815 – 29 November 1897) was a Scottish sinologist, missionary, and scholar, best known as an early and prolific translator of Classical Chinese texts into English. Legge served as a representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong (1840–1873) and was the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876–1897). In association with Max Müller he prepared the monumental Sacred Books of the East series, published in 50 volumes between 1879 and 1891.
Life Edit
James Legge was born at Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He enrolled in Aberdeen Grammar School at age 13[1] and then King's College, Aberdeen at age 15.[2] After studying at the Highbury Theological College, London, he went in 1839 as a missionary to China, but remained at Malacca three years, in charge of the Anglo-Chinese College there. The College was subsequently moved to Hong Kong, where Legge lived for nearly thirty years. A Chinese Christian, Keuh Agong accompanied Legge when he moved in 1844. He returned home to Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in 1846–7, taking with him three Chinese students. Legge and the students were received by Queen Victoria before his return to Hong Kong.
Legge and his three Chinese students
Legge married twice, first to Mary Isabella Morison (1816–1852) and after she died to a widow, Hannah Mary Willetts (d 1881, née Johnstone).
Translating the classics Edit
Convinced of the need for missionaries to be able to comprehend the ideas and culture of the Chinese, he began in 1841 a translation in many volumes of the Chinese classics, a monumental task that he completed a few years before his death. During his residence in Hong Kong, he translated Chinese classic literature into English with the help of Wang Tao and Hong Rengan, among others. He was the headmaster at Ying Wa College in Hong Kong from 1839 to 1867, and pastor of the Union Church there from 1844 to 1867.
He was third and final editor of the Chinese Serial, the first Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong. The paper closed in May 1856.
In 1867, Legge returned to Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where he invited Wang Tao to join him, and received his LLD from the University of Aberdeen in 1870. While in Scotland, he also revisited his native burgh, Huntly, accompanied by Wang Tao. He then returned to Hong Kong as pastor at Union Church from 1870 to 1873. While in Hong Kong he published The She king (Classic of Poetry) in 1871 which according to Peter France is the first substantial volume of Chinese poetry in English translation still in use. The work underwent a new edition in 1876 in verse.[3]
He took a long trip to North China, beginning 2 April 1873 in Shanghai, arriving at Tianjin by boat, then travelling by mule cart and arriving in Peking on 16 April 1873, where he stayed at the London Missionary Society headquarters. He visited the Great Wall, Ming Tombs and the Temple of Heaven, where he felt compelled to take off his shoes with holy awe. He left Peking, accompanied by Joseph Edkins, and headed for Shandong by mule cart to visit Jinan, Taishan, where they ascended the sacred Mount Tai, carried by four men on chairs. Leaving Mount Tai on 15 May, they visited Confucius Temple and the Forest of Confucius at Qufu, where he climbed to the top of the Confucius' burial mound. Legge returned to Shanghai by way of the Grand Canal, and thence to England via Japan and the USA in 1873.[4]
Oxford professor Edit
In 1875 he was named Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and in 1876 assumed the new Chair of Chinese Language and Literature at Oxford, where he attracted few students to his lectures but worked hard for some 20 years in his study at 3 Keble Terrace, on his translations of the Chinese classics. According to an anonymous contemporary obituary in the Pall Mall Gazette, Legge was in his study every morning at three o'clock, winter and summer, having retired to bed at ten. When he got up in the morning the first thing he did was to make himself a cup of tea over a spirit-lamp. Then he worked away at his translations while all the household slept.
In his book The religions of China: Confucianism and Tâoism described and compared with Christianity published in 1880, he wrote that he encountered a mosque in Canton which had a placard denouncing footbinding, saying Islam did not allow it since it constituted violating the creation of God.[5]
Legge was an ardent opponent of Britain's opium policy, and was a founding member of the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade.[6]
In addition to his other work Legge wrote The Life and Teaching of Confucius (1867); The Life and Teaching of Mencius (1875); The Religions of China (1880); and other books on Chinese literature and religion.
Legge was given an honorary MA, University of Oxford, and LLD, University of Edinburgh, 1884. Legge died at Oxford in 1897 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. Many of his manuscripts and letters are archived at the School of Oriental and African Studies.[7]
Legge originally planned his Chinese Classics as seven volumes, but his translations of the I Ching and Book of Rites (and several others) were instead included in the Sacred Books of the East series edited by Max Müller (Oxford: Clarendon Press):
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