The voices / 384 fragments
Confucius (traditional attribution)
551 BC — 479 BC
Traditionally remembered as a teacher whose transmitted sayings connect learning, personal conduct and public responsibility. The Analects preserve different representations of Master Kong rather than an independently authenticated manuscript.
Author and source reference ↗Life and writing
Confucius, or Master Kong, is traditionally dated to 551–479 BCE. Early records present him through teaching, conversation and accounts of public life. The Analects gather sayings and stories transmitted through later communities; their varied representations complicate attempts to reconstruct one complete, historically certain philosophy or biography.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Confucius ↗ Introduction and section 2: traditional lifetime and the diversity of transmitted sources
In the archive, complete source chapters beginning with Master speech preserve the surrounding wording rather than isolate one attractive sentence. Legge’s full translation also contains disciples, conversations and narrative passages; those other speakers are not silently assigned to Confucius. Learning and character are useful starting points, but historical ideas about hierarchy and ritual deserve attention as well as admiration.
Project Gutenberg — Analects, James Legge, PG 3330 ↗ Checked Legge source chapters and original editorial reading guidance
Reading this voice
Start with a short Master-speech chapter, then follow its book and chapter reference into the complete Legge translation. Terms such as virtue, propriety and the superior man carry historical assumptions. The traditional 551–479 BCE dates follow the scholarly reference; Gutenberg’s catalogue uses 552–480 BCE. The archive’s approximate 515 BCE coordinate is a lifetime midpoint, not the date the collected chapter was written.
Subjects to explore
Editorial reading connections, distinct from the archive’s word matching.
A work to read
Begin with these archive passages
Editorial starting points from this author’s existing entries.
- 1. The Master said, 'Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? 2. 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?' 3. 'Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?'
Book I, complete printed chapter I; James Legge translation; Undated digitized James Legge English edition; printed publication year/publisher not supplied in this cached text
- The Master said, 'Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.'
Book I, complete printed chapter III; James Legge translation; Undated digitized James Legge English edition; printed publication year/publisher not supplied in this cached text
- The Master said, 'A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after the performance of these things, he should employ them in polite studies.'
Book I, complete printed chapter VI; James Legge translation; Undated digitized James Legge English edition; printed publication year/publisher not supplied in this cached text
Profile sources and editorial status
Original agent-assisted editorial profile, checked 2026-10-04. No human review is recorded. Life dates are recorded to the year; they do not date individual quotations.