Confucian Reflections: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

by Philip J. Ivanhoe

Confucian Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times is about the early Chinese Confucian classic the "Analects" Lunyu, attributed to the founder of the Confucian tradition, Kongzi (551-479 bce) and who is more commonly referred to as "Confucius" in the West. Philip J. Ivanhoe argues that the Analects is as relevant and important today as it has proven to be over the course of its more than 2000 year history, not only for the people who live in East Asian societies but for all human beings. The fact that this text has inspired so many talented people for so long, across a range of complex, creative, rich, and fascinating cultures offers a strong prima facie reason for thinking that the insights the Analects contains are not bound by either the particular time or cultural context in which the text took shape.

Genres: Philosophy

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Philip J. Ivanhoe is an historian of Chinese thought, particularly of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism. He is a professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

Reviews

[Sher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a book it reads as a collections of separate yet interconnected essays (by theme). In each chapter the author explains what he will argue, so since this happens in each chapter - it seems a bit overdone unless it can be attributed to each chapter being a separate essay. But this stylistic point stood out for me. I believe the author is trying to help Westerners see the value in Confucian thought by looking at various themes in the Analects, and I did get quite a few ideas from this book. The bibliography is outstanding as is the works cited section.