Books That Matter: The Analects of Confucius

Overview

Course No. 4642
Join Professor LaFleur on a 24-lecture journey through one of history’s most influential philosophical texts. This course explores:

• The core teachings of Confucius on ethics, governance, and personal conduct
• How the Analects shaped Chinese society for over 2,500 years
• Key concepts like filial piety, ritual propriety, and moral cultivation
• The text’s historical context and modern global resurgence

Through close readings and rich historical analysis, you’ll discover why this ancient text remains profoundly relevant today.

Video Lessons

1. The Hidden Teaching Dynamic (30 min)
   Examine Confucius’s performative teaching style and mission to restore harmony.
2. A Bird’s-Eye View (28 min)
   Learn how to approach the Analects as a living philosophy.
3. The Man We Call Confucius (32 min)
   Explore the historical figure behind the text.
4. How the Analects Is Organized (30 min)
   Understand the structure of this collection of 500 sayings.
5. The Provenance of the Analects (30 min)
   Discover ancient bamboo fragments that reveal the text’s evolution.
6. The Analects in Miniature (29 min)
   Unpack core themes through the first five statements.
7. Learning to Read the Analects (30 min)
   Gain strategies for navigating this complex work.
8. Students: Zai Wo & Yan Hui (29 min)
   Meet Confucius’s trickster disciple and model pupil.
9. Students: Zilu & Zigong (31 min)
   Study two followers who underwent transformations.
10. Purpose of Learning (31 min)
    Explore applying Confucian knowledge to worldly matters.
11. Filial Devotion (32 min)
    Examine xiao (孝) as the foundation of social order.
12. Value of Remonstrance (29 min)
    Consider the duty to correct superiors’ mistakes.
13. The Exemplary Person (30 min)
    Analyze qualities like loyalty, sincerity, and virtue.
14. Consummate Conduct (29 min)
    Delve into ren (仁) as Confucius’s highest ideal.
15. Cultivating the Social Self (29 min)
    See how moral development connects individual and community.
16. Ritual Conduct (30 min)
    Understand li (禮) as both cosmic principle and daily practice.
17. Embodied Ritual & Music (30 min)
    Explore the performative dimensions of ceremony.
18. Effective Rule (28 min)
    Study Confucian political philosophy and leadership.
19. Mencius: Next Confucian Sage (30 min)
    Meet the philosopher who expanded Confucian thought.
20. Daoist & Legalist Critics (28 min)
    Consider alternative perspectives from Zhuangzi and Han Fei.
21. State Confucianism & Buddhism (30 min)
    Trace Confucianism’s rise during the Han dynasty.
22. Sima Guang’s Revival (31 min)
    Examine the 11th-century neo-Confucian resurgence.
23. Neo-Confucian Politics (31 min)
    Analyze civil service exams and the “Four Books” model.
24. Global Comeback (32 min)
    Follow Confucius from Cultural Revolution to modern revival.