How do you evaluate the Analects? What do the two words "lun" and "yu" in the Analects mean?

Since the Song Dynasty, The Analects has been listed as one of the "Four Books" and has become an official textbook for ancient schools and a must-read for the imperial examinations. So, how do you evaluate The Analects? What do the two words "lun" and "yu" in The Analects mean? Let's take a look at the introduction of Encyclopedia Knowledge Network to answer these questions!

Contents of this article

1. How to evaluate the Analects

2. What do the two words "lun" and "yu" in "The Analects" mean?

3. Introduction to the Analects Author of the Analects

How to Evaluate the Analects

The Analects is only one of the four books and five classics of the Confucian school. The four books and five classics of the Confucian school are: The Great Learning, The Analects, Mencius, and The Doctrine of the Mean, which are the Four Books, and the Five Classics, which are The Book of Changes, The Book of Poetry, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. The Analects is a record of the conversations between Confucius and his disciples, The Mencius is a record of the speeches of Mencius and his disciples who were born more than a hundred years later than Confucius, and The Book of Rites is a compilation of the thoughts of Confucius' disciples after learning Confucius' theory of "ritual". The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean are chapters extracted from The Book of Rites and are separate chapters. In addition, The Book of Changes, The Book of Poetry, The Book of History, and The Spring and Autumn Annals were all books that existed in Confucius' time, and Confucius edited, revised, and developed them according to his own theoretical needs and aesthetic vision. The annotations of the Four Books and Five Classics by scholars of successive generations after Confucius and Mencius can be seen as the interpretation and development of Confucianism by people of different times according to the needs of their times.

What does "lun" and "yu" in "The Analects" mean?

"Lun" means to discuss and compile; "Yu" means words, classic sentences, and proverbs. The Analects is a book that discusses and compiles the words of Confucius, the ancient teacher. The Analects is mainly a book that records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples. The Analects was written by many people, including Confucius' disciples, Confucius' disciples, and people outside Confucius' school, but mainly Confucius' disciples.

Introduction to the Analects Author of the Analects

1. Author: Compiled by Confucius' disciples and their disciples.

2. Introduction: The Analects is one of the classic works of Confucianism. It is mainly in the form of quotations and dialogues, recording the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, and concentrating on Confucius' political views, ethical thoughts, moral concepts and educational principles. Together with The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Mencius, The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes and The Spring and Autumn Annals, it is known as the "Four Books and Five Classics". The popular version of The Analects consists of twenty chapters.