An Existential Reading of the Confucian Analects By Andrew Zhon ...

It seems to me that the most plausible theory is that the Analects as extant today was a produced by Zengzi’s disciples, who committed to writing what their master remembered or had heard about Confucius. Moreover, additional sayings by Confucius may have been compiled by other lineages and may have circulated independently. The fact that Mencius knew Confucius’s sayings beyond what is recorded in the Analects can be explained by this hypothesis. Because the composition of the Analects is in some ways analogous to that of the gospel writings, an integral approach to the Chinese text is justifiable. Never claiming to be a book of revelation, the Analects has, in general, historically been read as an integral whole. My purpose here is not to uncover the “pure” thought of the historical Confucius. Rather, I am more interested in how the Analects might have spoken to the community of Ru (; Confucian) scholars who received it—as well as what the Analects might say to modern readers. Therefore, rather than engaging in text criticism, this book focuses on the received version of the Analects and considers the text as a whole.

The Human Predicaments in the Analects

What issues does the Analects as a whole address? Different interpretative lenses produce different answers to this question. The text is rich in meaning, as attested by the abundant interpretations thathave appeared in the East and the West throughout ages past and present. The present existential interpretation, it is hoped, will add significantly to knowledge of the Analects. To begin with, I consider the human condition as it is expressed in this text.

The human condition is a broad term referring to the context of human existence: to be human is to grapple with human predicaments, and in the Analects one encounters various aspects of such uniquely human concerns. The presence of these concerns justifies the existential reading of this text. The human predicaments that appear in the Analects—expressed most poignantly in the text through the concept of you (; worry, anxiety, or concern)—should be the starting point for any adequate understanding of Confucius’s thought.