The Norton Critical Edition aims to situate the historical figure of Kongzi, 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. Simon Leys's acclaimed translation and notes are accompanied by Michael Nylan's insightful introduction.

Eleven essays by leading experts in the field of Chinese studies discuss a broad range of issues relating to the Analects, from the origins of the classicists (Ru) and the formation of the Analects text to the use (and abuse) of the Master's iconic image in twentieth- and twenty-first-century Asian, diasporic, and Western settings. Collectively, these readings suggest that the Confucius we thought we knew is not the Kongzi of record and that this Kongzi is a protean figure given to rapid change and continual reevaluation. Contributors include Henry Rosemont Jr., Nicolas Zufferey, Robert Eno, Thomas Wilson, Sebastien Billioud and Vincent Goossaert, Julia K. Murray, Mark Csikszentmihalyi and Tae Hyun Kim, Eric L. Hutton, Luke Habberstad, He Yuming, and Sam Ho.

About the Author
Michael Nylan is a professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work includes?The Art of War?and China's Early Empires with Michael Loewe,?Yang?Xiong?and the Pleasures of Reading and Classical Learning in China, The Five "Confucian" Classics,?Lives of Confucius with Thomas A. Wilson, and several essays on feminism and Confucianism. Simon Leys is the pseudonym of Pierre Ryckmans, a noted scholar and astringent observer of Chinese culture and politics.

Reviews
"A subtle and elegant [translation]." -- Jonathan Spence - New York Review of Books



Book Information
ISBN 9780393911954
Author Confucius
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 382g
Dimensions(mm) 213mm * 132mm * 23mm