Confucius: A Biography

by Jonathan Clements

JONATHAN CLEMENTS ‘Rich with history and studded with the sayings for which the sage is known. . . Clements uses his considerable story- telling skill to make “the troubled life of a teacher who lived two-and-a-half thousand years ago” come alive.’ – The Asian Reporter ‘Clements reveals the man behind the legend, as well as providing a useful introduction to Confucius’ thoughts and teachings.’ – The Good Book Guide The teachings of Confucius have survived for twenty- five centuries and shaped over a quarter of the world’s population – his image appears not only in temples across East Asia, but also above the entrance to the US Supreme Court. A Biography reveals unexpected sides of the ancient philosopher – his youth, his interaction with his pupils, his feuds with his rivals and even his biting wit. This revised edition includes three new chapters on the influence of Confucius in Chinese history, the modernist and post-modernist backlashes against Confucian thought, and its relevance in our world today.

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, China, History, Religion, Nonfiction

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.

Reviews

[Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Succinct bio of Confucius, basically provides the summary highlights of his life without going far too in depth. A decent enough intro on him, his lifetime and impact he had later on China.

Interesting to note that he was rather idealistic and headstrong on his principles yet faced lot of doubts that they would survive beyond his lifetime. Fascinating that, 2000 years later millions follow it and still see it as guiding principles.

Quite an impactful life, and look forward to reading more in depth on his principles.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Clements make this very understandable. There are a lot of politics going on here and it can be a bit much but under Mr. Clements tutelage, you will be just fine.
I really like Confucius and want to learn as much as I can about him. I love how thoughtful and kind he was to the elderly.

xviii: Husbands had a duty to their wives, the old to the young and parents to their children. If each remained benevolent, while the other remained obedient, these simple rules would extend out into the wider world,

Songs will give power to your imagination and heighten your perception, they will bring you friends and teach you irony. When at home, they will bring joy to your parents. When far away, they can bring solace to your prince. pg.12

Be courteous, and you will not be humiliated. Be wide-ranging, and you will gain the love of the people. Be honorable, and others shall trust you. Be diligent, and you shall eventually succeed in every task Ana:XVII, 6 (pg.54)

It is said that with good people in charge, one after the other, for a hundred years, there would be no need for capital punishment...thieves and murderers would be a thing of the past. pg. 79

[Joseph Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A honest reflection of Confucius life, work and current cultural impact. Previous to this book I did not know much about Confucius outside of the popular culture treatment of his sayings, and attribution of sayings that were not his. At the end of the book the author lists some of Confucius' sayings that he deemed accurate and useful. The bibliography is a extensive reference for further reading.

[Steph Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little read.

After reading a rather heavy philosophy book, this was really easy to follow and very interesting.

Confucius’ teachings are something we can all learn from.

[Ayah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems like a nice guy

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clements paints a vibrant picture of early China and the great sage whose influence on its subsequent history was profound. Confucius comes off as a man wandering from ruler to ruler trying to persuade each to adopt his ethics and mode of ruling.