Lives of Confucius: Civilization's Greatest Sage Through the Ages

By Michael Nylan and Thomas Wilson

Confucius—“Master Kung” (551–479 BCE), the Chinese thinker and social philosopher—originated teachings that have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese thought and life over many centuries. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, justice, and appropriateness in social relationships. In time these values gained prom­inence in China over other doctrines, such as Taoism and even Buddhism. His thoughts later developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism.
 
Today there remain many mysteries about the actual circumstances of his life, and the development of his influence has yet to be encapsulated for the general reader. But with Michael Nylan and Thomas Wilson’s Lives of Confucius, many mysteries are laid to rest about his historical life, and fascinating details emerge about how his mythic stature evolved over time, right up to the present day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307590220

Reviews for Lives of Confucius

[aront-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting intellectual history of one of the world's great thinkers and how he and his ideas have been viewed over the past 2500 years. At times the authors leave out key facts and at other times they repeat themselves too much. At times the book is soporific, at other times fascinating.

But, especially in the last chapter, it becomes clear why this great figure is not only of historical importance, but critical to understanding the world today.

[bezoar44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The project of this book -- to explore the many different ways the sage Confucius has been interpreted and understood during eras of Chinese history -- could offer a fascinating reading experience. Alas. I think much of the information is there, but the telling is flat, and if the authors explained their analytical approach, I missed it. As a result, I kept finding myself distracted, trying to figure out what the authors were doing -- were they writing from within a particular time-period's understanding of Confucius, or trying for an objective view and just not explaining it well? The most interesting section was chapter 4, a close reading of how two key thinkers, Zheng Xuan and Zhu Xi, a thousand years apart, shaped interpretations of the Confucian corpus. The last chapter, a survey of the use of Confucius as a brand in the modern world, is loosely argued, and significantly different in tone from the rest of the book. In this final chapter, the critiques of current academic trends are interesting; the judgments about politics and nationalism are simplistic and unconvincing. There's no indication that the chapters of the book were originally published as separate journal articles, but it certainly reads that way.

[pbjwelch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some excellent chapters; some chapters less so, but a good go-to book for information on Confucius (Kongzi) and his followers. Liberally sprinkled with quotes from Confucius, which I liked, and the references to recommended reading and other sources were very helpful. This is not a book for the general reader, however as some will surely find the approach of examining Confucius' life from different perspectives repetitive and too academic. The best chapters are the early ones on Kongzi and his life as recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji (Chapters 1-3) and as culled from The Analects themselves. Additional chapters cover his disciples, critics, and the evolution and development of the 'cult' of Confucius. Another chapter covers the history of the Kong clan and details of the official ceremony honouring him. The book closes with an examination of Confucian thought in today's world.

This would be a very good beginning book for any serious student of Chinese history or philosophy, and was probably the book's intended audience. Casual readers beware.