Confucius
Kong Qiu
551-479 BCE • Chinese
Chinese philosopher and teacher whose ethical and political teachings — preserved by his students in the Analects — became the foundation of Chinese civilization. His teaching centers on ren (humaneness), li (propriety), and the cultivation of the noble person.
Key Works
- Analects (trans. Legge 1893)
- Doctrine of the Mean
- Great Learning
111
quotes in library
Quotes by Confucius
111 quotes“What the superior man seeks is in himself.”
interiorityAnalects 15.20
“What the mean man seeks is in others.”
comparisonAnalects 15.20
“The superior man is dignified and does not wrangle.”
dignityAnalects 15.21
“He is sociable but not partisan.”
impartialityAnalects 15.21
“The superior man is firm in the right; not pertinacious in trifles.”
discernmentAnalects 15.36
“In serving his prince, the superior man is reverently attentive to his duties.”
serviceAnalects 15.37
“He considers his support a secondary matter.”
serviceAnalects 15.37
“In teaching there should be no class distinctions.”
teachingAnalects 15.38
“Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.”
alignmentAnalects 15.39
“In language, perspicuity is everything.”
clarityAnalects 15.40
“The wise are free from perplexities.”
wisdomAnalects 9.28
“The virtuous from anxiety.”
virtueAnalects 9.28
“The bold from fear.”
courageAnalects 9.28
“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.”
gratitudeAnalects (attributed)
“He who learns but does not think is lost.”
thinkingAnalects 2.15
“Heaven means to be one with God.”
divineDoctrine of the Mean 1
“Sincerity is the way of Heaven.”
sincerityDoctrine of the Mean 20
“The attainment of sincerity is the way of men.”
sincerityDoctrine of the Mean 20
“It is only he who possesses absolute sincerity that can give its full development to his nature.”
sincerityDoctrine of the Mean 22
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