- Hardcover: 160 pages
- Publisher: The History Press Ltd (21 Oct 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0750933224
- ISBN-13: 978-0750933223
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.2 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 448,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Heroes may be brave, but not all of those who act bravely are necessarily heroes' Confucius is one of the most important figures in Chinese history, the philosopher-founder of an intellectual, ethical tradition that has shaped a quarter of the world's population. Often overlooked outside his native country, Jonathan Clements reveals Confucius to be an outspoken and uncompromising man, and places him within the context of China of 2,500 years ago. Confucius, a contemporary of Buddha, was the illegitimate son of a retired soldier and a teenage concubine. He had a passionate belief in respect for others and it was this belief which underpinned his life and teachings. He advised the famous figures of his day, gaining their respect, and also the undying enmity of those whose paths he crossed. He was equally proud of both achievements, saying that if the evil people of the world liked him, he was doing something wrong. Confucius established many ideas that are taken for granted today. His theories became the foundation of one of the world's first civil services and established enduring social structures throughout Asia. In collating and refining the words of earlier, forgotten thinkers, he also preserved elements of China's prehistoric culture, and its ancient religion of ancestor-worship.
About the Author
Jonathan Clements is the author, co-author or translator of over thirty books, including The Little Book of Chinese Proverbs, The Moon in the Pines, and The Anime Encyclopedia. He is now writing his biography of The Pirate King: Coxinga and The Fall of the Ming Dynasty for Sutton.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confucius - A Biography - Jonathan Clements.,
By
This review is from: Confucius (Paperback)
A biography of Confucius is always problematic. Not that long ago in China, Confucius, after thousands of years of veneration, was blamed for the social collapse of China and all the ills such a collapse entails. The old sage is now popular again, and the Mainland Chinese government is encouraging the building of Confucian temples throughout the world, primarily to teach the Chinese language. Clements accesses the extant Chinese texts already translated into English, and pieces together a reliable narrative for the life of Confucius (551-479BC). This is not a long book, the hardback 2004 edition contains just 136 numbered pages. There are 6 chapters excluding the Introduction, Chronology and maps, etc:
1. Ancestry and Early Life. 2. Scholar and Teacher. 3. Editor and Recluse. 4. Statesman and Minister. 5. Exist. 6. Sage. The text, although relatively brief, is logical in its presentation. Throughout the biography, Clements inserts aphorisms from The Analects (Lun Yu), thus providing the general reader with access to part of the written philosophy of Confucius. A good introduction to the life and teachings of the old sage.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear, Concise, Confucius,
By Rhonda Eudaly - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Confucius: A Biography (Hardcover)
Jonathan Clements once more takes a complex topic - in this case, the life of a monumental individual - and boils it down to a fast paced, lean read.
This biography of one of the world's most well-known and near-deified philosophers of all time is clean, concise - and yet gives more than just facts and dates. It actually feels like you have some insight into the man behind all the profound sayings and ideas which have been attributed to him. Anyone who's interested in more than just the fortune cookie Confucius will find this a fascinating read. Anyone studiying Asian history or philosophy should be required to read this biography before starting their studies on Confucius. It's clear he was a master of common sense and that's worth reading and learning on any level. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent overview of Confucius' life and philosophy,
By D. Goodpasture - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Confucius: A Biography (Hardcover)
Clements brings the 2,500 year-old philosopher, teacher, and statesman to life. He also provides maps and timelines to put it into perspective and make visualization easier. It's a short, easy, and enjoyable read spliced with words of wisdom from the Analects. In essence we are all here to do certain jobs and should do them to the best of our abilities and not disrupt the social order. He was very enlightened for his time in that he felt jobs should be obtained by merit and not birth. He came up with the idea of imperial exams to make accession fair. Perhaps it would be expecting too much for a philosopher who lived 2,500 years ago but, his idea of equality and a level playing field didn't extend to women. This is left out of the book. It's a well documented biography and the writing is good.
|
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > China
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Indian Subcontinent
- Books > Biography > Medical, Legal & Social Sciences > Philosophy
- Books > History > Countries & Regions > Asia > China
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions > Eastern Mystical Philosophy
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Philosophy > Non-Western
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
