Sinology is the essence of traditional Chinese culture and has a great influence on China's politics, economy, military and other aspects. It plays an important role in inheriting civilization, enhancing national cohesion, and rejuvenating the Chinese nation. Chinese cultural classics are the best, most essential, and most valuable exemplary works in Chinese culture. They are cultural masterpieces that have been sifted by time and precipitated by history. The following is a recommended book list: 10 must-read Chinese classics.
1. "The Analects of Confucius"
"The Analects of Confucius" is one of the classic works of Confucianism, compiled by Confucius's disciples and his disciples. It is mainly in the style of quotations and dialogues, recording the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, and embodies Confucius' political opinions, theoretical thoughts, moral concepts and educational principles. Together with "The Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "Mencius", "The Book of Songs", "Shangshu", "Book of Rites", "Book of Changes" and "Spring and Autumn", they are also called the "Four Books and Five Classics". The current edition of "The Analects" contains twenty chapters.
2. "Tao Te Ching"
"Tao Te Ching", also known as "Lao Tzu", was compiled by the Taoist school during the Warring States Period and recorded the teachings of Lao Tzu, a thinker in the late Spring and Autumn Period. It is a work written by the pre-Qin scholars in ancient China before they split up. It was highly regarded by the scholars at that time and is an important source of Taoist philosophical thought. The Tao Te Ching is divided into two parts. The original text is the first part "De Jing" and the second part "Tao Jing". They are not divided into chapters. Later, it was changed to "Tao Jing" first and "De Jing" last, and they are divided into 81 chapters. It is the first complete philosophical work in Chinese history.
3. "Zhuangzi"
"Zhuangzi" is the collection of writings of the Zhuangzi school and an important Taoist classic. There are currently 33 chapters in "Zhuangzi", divided into internal chapters, external chapters and miscellaneous chapters. It is generally believed that the inner chapter was written by Zhuangzi, and the outer and miscellaneous chapters were written by Zhuang Zhou's disciples and later scholars. Zhuangzi, named Zhou, was born in the northeast of Shangqiu, Mongolia and present-day Henan Province in the middle of the Warring States Period. He once worked as a minor official in charge of the lacquer garden. He pursues spiritual freedom and treats fame, fortune and status like dung. The King of Qi was so impressed that he sent envoys to hire him as prime minister with a lot of money. Zhuang Zhou replied that he would rather play freely in dirty ditches than be fettered by those in power, so he refused the offer.
4. "Mencius"
Mencius, whose name is Ke, is not recorded in ancient books before the Han Dynasty, but after the Cao Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was known that he was named Ziche, Ziju, and Ziyu. There are three different font sizes. The font size may be the attachment of later generations and may not be credible. A native of Zoucheng, Shandong. After arriving in the state of Lu at the age of fifteen or six, there is a saying that he became a disciple of Confucius' grandson Si. Mencius was a famous thinker, educator in ancient China, and a representative figure of Confucianism during the Warring States Period. Author of "Mencius". It is a work that records the words and deeds of Mencius and his disciples. He inherited and carried forward Confucius' thoughts and became a generation of Confucian masters second only to Confucius. He was known as the "Senior Sage" and was collectively called "Confucius and Mencius" with Confucius.
5. "Mozi"
Mozi, named Zhai (dí), was a Huaxia nationality and a native of Teng. He was the founder of the Mohist school and a famous thinker and educator during the Warring States Period. Mozi's ancestors were from the Song Dynasty. Mozi founded the Mohist school, which had great influence in the pre-Qin period and was called "Xianxue" together with Confucianism. Mozi was the only philosopher in history who was born as a peasant and had great influence. Historical materials about Mozi's life and deeds were later collected by his disciples and his quotations were completed and handed down to the world in the book "Mozi". He put forward the views of universal love, non-aggression, respecting the virtuous, heavenly wisdom, ghosts, "non-fate", non-happiness, and frugal burial. With universal love as the core, frugality and respect for the virtuous as the fulcrum. In the pre-Qin period, Mozi created a set of scientific theories with outstanding achievements in geometry and physics. At that time, the contention of a hundred schools of thought was known as "both Confucianism and Mohism". After Mozi's death, the Mohists were divided into three schools: Xiangli's Mohism, Xiangfu's Mohism, and Dengling's Mohism.
6. "Xunzi"
Xunzi (about 313 BC - 238 BC), surnamed Kuang, courtesy name Qing, Huaxia (Han), a native of Zhao at the end of the Warring States Period . A famous thinker, writer and politician, he was respectfully called "Xun Qing" by people at that time. In the Western Han Dynasty, he was also called Sun Qing because he avoided the taboo of Liu Xun, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, and because the two characters "Xun" and "Sun" had similar ancient pronunciation.
He served as the wine-offering officer of the Jixia Academy of Qi State three times, and later served as the leader of the Chu Lanling Mausoleum.
Xunzi developed Confucianism. On the issue of human nature, he advocated the theory of evil nature, advocated that human nature has evil, denied innate moral concepts, and emphasized the influence of acquired environment and education on people. His theory is often compared with Mencius's theory of the goodness of nature by later generations. Xunzi also made a significant contribution to the rearrangement of Confucian classics.
7. "Han Feizi"
Han Fei (about 280 BC - 233 BC), a famous thinker of the Han nationality and the late Warring States period, and a representative figure of Legalism. He is honored as Han Feizi or Han Zi. The son of King Han (Korean monarch at the end of the Warring States Period) and a student of Xunzi.
As a representative of Legalism in Qin, he was highly appreciated by King Yingzheng of Qin, but he was jealous of Li Si and others, and was eventually imprisoned and poisoned. He is known as one of the two people (the other is Zhuang Zhou) who has the most essence of Laozi's thoughts. He is the author of the book "Han Feizi", with fifty-five chapters and more than 100,000 words. It is unique among the prose of pre-Qin scholars, showing that Han Fei attaches great importance to materialism and utilitarianism, and actively advocates the theory of monarchical absolutism, with the purpose of providing the autocratic monarch with the hegemonic idea of ??enriching the country and strengthening the army.
8. "Sun Tzu's Art of War"
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is also known as "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Sun Tzu's Art of War", etc. It is a Chinese The earliest extant military book and the earliest military work in the world, it is known as the "sacred book of military science". Taoist and military philosophy are expressed everywhere. The book has about 6,000 words, with thirteen chapters in one book.
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is a brilliant treasure in ancient China's military cultural heritage and an important part of excellent traditional culture. Its content is extensive and profound, its thoughts are profound and rich, and its logic is meticulous and rigorous. It is the essence of ancient military thought. Concentrated expression. The author is Sun Wu, a general of Wu State whose ancestral home is Le'an, Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period.
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is regarded as a military classic. It has a history of 2,500 years since its birth and has been studied throughout the ages. Li Shimin said, "Looking at all the military books, there is no one like Sun Wu." The art of war is a strategy, and a strategy is not a small trick, but a grand strategy and great wisdom. Today, Sun Tzu's Art of War has gone global. It has also been translated into many languages ??and plays an important role in world military history. Bamboo slips of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" were unearthed in Linyi.
9. "Zuo Zhuan"
The full name of "Zuo Zhuan" is "Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan", one of the Thirteen Confucian Classics. "Zuo Zhuan" is not only a masterpiece of ancient Han history, but also a masterpiece of literature. "Zuo Zhuan" is China's first chronicle with detailed narrative. According to legend, it was compiled by Zuo Qiuming, the historian of the Lu State in the late Spring and Autumn Period, based on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" of the Lu State. The scope of the narrative begins in the first year of Lu Yin (722 BC). As of the twenty-seventh year of Duke Ai of Lu.
10. "Chu Ci"
During the Warring States Period, Chu State poet Qu Yuan created a new poetry genre - Chu Ci based on southern folk songs and the Chu dialect. Qu Yuan's lyrical poem "Li Sao" has a romantic style and is a representative work of Chu Ci. Therefore, Chu Ci is also called "Li Sao style".
8 classic Chinese studies books
1. "Poems of Thousands of Families·Poems of Prodigy·Collection of Famous Sages·Zengguang Xianwen"
Practice filial piety and do good deeds, Cherishing time and studying hard reflect its unique cultural charm and ideological value.
"Poems of a Thousand Families" selects famous poems by famous writers that are widely circulated among the people; "Poems of Prodigy" mainly collects some poems of the prodigy Wang Zhu, and "Collection of Famous Sages" and "Zengguang Xianwen" collect good verses from literature And rhymed proverbs.
In the morning, he was the farmhouse man, and in the evening, he ascended to the Emperor's Hall. Generals have no seeds at all, and men should strive for self-improvement. ——Wang Zhu's "Poem of the Prodigy"
But when doing good deeds, don't ask about the future. People are not as good as a thousand days, and flowers are not as beautiful as a hundred days. ——"Collection of Famous Sages"
There are times in life that must be there, but there are no times in life, so don't force it.
——"Zengguang Xianwen"
This book uses wise thinking to gain insight into social life, reflects profound life principles in easy-to-understand language, and tells us through concise and concise poems and proverbs that when we are young, When you are young, you must know how to cherish time and work hard; in life, you must know how to be filial to your parents and be harmonious to your brothers; when you are in trouble, you must maintain an optimistic and positive attitude.
2. "Disciples' Regulations·Three-Character Classic·Hundred Family Surnames·Thousand-Character Essay"
Known as a "pocket encyclopedia", it covers the philosophy and wisdom of living in the world and dealing with others. .
"Three Character Classic", "Hundred Family Surnames" and "Thousand Character Classic" are collectively called "Three Hundred Thousand" and are famous teaching materials for ancient enlightenment education.
Disciples’ rules and sages’ precepts should be followed by filial piety to younger brothers and then only by faith; love others broadly and be kind to others. If you have spare energy, study literature. ——"Disciple Rules"
In the beginning, people are inherently good by nature, similar in nature, but far apart in habits. If you don't teach, your nature will change. The way to teach is to be specialized. ——"Three Character Classic"
The sky and the earth are dark and yellow, and the universe is primitive. The sun and moon are full, and the stars and constellations are arranged. Cold comes and summer comes, autumn is harvested and winter is stored, and the remaining years are full of years, and the law regulates the Yang. ——"The Thousand Character Essay"
3. "Enlightenment of Rhythm·Li Weng's Rhyme"
It is said to be "the best enlightenment textbook in the world"
This book is a combined edition of "Enlightenment of Rhythm" written by Qing Dynasty scholar Che Wanyu and "Li Weng Duiyun" by dramatist Li Yu.
Children who are familiar with these sentences can master the rhyme and rhythm in a subtle way, and naturally understand the contrast between oblique and oblique words. In the future, they will be able to use them at their fingertips when learning to write couplets and poems.
Half of the stream is green, and thousands of trees have fallen flowers. ——"Enlightenment of Rhythm"
The Xiang bamboos contain smoke, and the tortoise shells are caged in light gauze under the waist; the raindrops on the begonias make the rouge wet with clear tears on the face. ——"Le Weng Dui Rhyme"
"Rhyme Enlightenment Li Weng Dui Rhyme" is a method used by people in the past to train children to cope with and learn to write modern poetry and lyrics. It was used to familiarize themselves with antiphons, use rhyme, organize words, and master pronunciation and rhyme. Introductory readings on meter. The book also quotes a large number of allusions and legends, containing rich historical and cultural knowledge. Many of the allusions have certain educational and warning significance, are in line with traditional Chinese ethics and morals, and have a profound impact on children's growth.
4. "The Analects of Confucius, University, Doctrine of the Mean" (refined version)
A collection of Confucian classics, expounding the core ideas of Confucian philosophy, and gathering chapters on learning and inheritance.
Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty combined "The Great Learning", "The Analects of Confucius", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" into the "Four Books".
Half of the Analects governs the world. ——Zhao Pu, a politician in the Northern Song Dynasty
As the first of the "Four Books", "The Great Learning" is an important ideological carrier of Confucianism. As the basis for the legitimacy of traditional Chinese politics, Confucianism played an important role in the construction of a clean government culture in ancient China and had a profound impact.
When you see a virtuous person, you think about them all; when you see a virtuous person, you reflect on yourself. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Li Ren"
The way of a university is to be clear and virtuous, to be close to the people, and to stop at the best. Knowing the cessation can lead to concentration; being calm can lead to tranquility; tranquility can lead to peace; tranquility can lead to energy. Think about it; think about it and then you can get it. ——"University"
To be eager to learn is close to knowledge, to practice is close to benevolence, and to know shame is close to courage. ——"The Doctrine of the Mean"
"The Analects of Confucius·University·The Doctrine of the Mean" develops Confucianism and discusses philosophical categories such as Tao, reason, heart, sincerity, benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, and wisdom, and elaborates on them. Proposed a philosophical system with reason as the category. The Analects of Confucius reflects the thoughts of Confucius in a relatively concentrated way; The Great Learning is "the door for beginners to enter virtue"; The Doctrine of the Mean is an important work that "Confucius teaches the mind".
5. "Translation and Annotation of Confucius' Family Sayings" (edited version)
Concentrates on Confucius' thoughts of "benevolence", "propriety" and "virtue"
"Confucius" "Family Language", also known as "Kong's Family Language", or simply "Family Language", is a work that records the thoughts, words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples.
Confucius believed that a person should not only know how to be friendly and love others, but also should always reflect on himself, get rid of distracting thoughts and selfish desires in his heart, and regulate his words and deeds to comply with the norms of social etiquette and law.
Therefore, it is said that the most benevolent person in the world can unite with the most loved ones in the world; the so-called most enlightened person in the world can also promote the most sage in the world. ——"Confucius' Family Words·Wang Yan"
This book is an important reference material for studying the life and thoughts of Confucius. It is also an important basis for us to understand the real image of Confucius in history. Most of the contents in the book are highly narrative and have high literary value. In addition, many stories in the book and many philosophical words of Confucius have profound reference significance for us.
6. "Translation and Annotations of Mencius" (refined version)
It is known as "the representative work of Confucianism and the peak of traditional prose writing".
Mencius (about 372 BC - about 289 BC), whose name was Ke and whose courtesy name was Ziyu, was from the state of Lu. He was a great thinker and educator during the Warring States Period and a representative figure of the Confucian school. He inherited and developed Confucius' thoughts, and was called "Confucius and Mencius" together with Confucius. Later generations posthumously named Mencius "Ya Sheng Gong" and respected him as "Ya Sheng".
The last seven chapters of this book are a compilation of Mencius’ remarks during the Warring States Period. They record Mencius’ debates with other schools of thought, his words and deeds to his disciples, and his lobbying of the princes, etc., written by Mencius and his disciples ( Wan Zhang, etc.) *** compiled together.
Mencius was good at debating and thinking, and explored many issues such as human nature, life, society, and politics. He wanted to tell us: we must always remember to maintain good moral character, cultivate ourselves through self-examination, and improve human nature. Carry forward the good things in your life and be a kind, upright, diligent and self-cultivating person who has the courage to discover your own shortcomings and correct them.
No rules, no rules.
Quan, then you know the severity; degree, then you know the length.
People do not do anything, and then they can do something. People have to do something before they can do something.
——Mencius
This book records Mencius’s thoughts on governing the country and political views (benevolent government, the distinction between kings and hegemons, people-oriented, people are the most important thing for the country, and the king is less important, etc.) and Political Action, written around the middle of the Warring States Period, and is a Confucian classic. The starting point of his theory is the theory of good nature and advocates the rule of virtue.
7. "Xunzi Translation and Annotations" (Condensed Edition)
"Xunzi" is the work of Xun Kuang, a famous materialist thinker in the late Warring States Period. The content is very rich, extensive and profound, and it is a summary of the academic and ideological achievements of the pre-Qin Dynasty.
This book tells us that we must always maintain a dialectical way of looking at things, learn the good qualities of others, restrain and cultivate ourselves through the teachings of others, and eliminate the "evil" in human nature through acquired efforts. Make corrections, and through your own moral influence and education of others, be a person who is good at thinking, diligent in self-cultivation, good at learning the strengths of others and correcting your own shortcomings.
Anyone who is not me is my teacher; anyone who is me is my friend; anyone who flatters me is my thief. ——"Xunzi · Self-cultivation"
A horse can't take ten steps with one leap; a horse can ride ten times, but the merit lies in perseverance. If you persevere, the rotten wood will not be broken; if you persevere, the metal and stone can be carved. ——"Xunzi Encouraging Learning"
This book has 32 existing chapters, which is a summary of Xunzi's thoughts. Its content aims to summarize the contention of a hundred schools of thought in the academic circles at that time and Xunzi's academic thoughts, and reflect the materialist view of nature. , epistemological thoughts and Xun Kuang’s ethical, political and economic thoughts.
8. "Tao Te Ching Translation and Annotation"
A great work known as the "King of All Classics"
"Tao Te Ching" is a masterpiece written by Laozi (Li Tzu) in the Spring and Autumn Period. Er)'s philosophical works are one of the greatest masterpieces in Chinese history. They are an important source of Taoist philosophical thought and have had a profound impact on Chinese philosophy, science, politics, religion, etc.
According to UNESCO statistics, "Tao Te Ching" is the cultural masterpiece that has been translated into foreign languages ??the most and published besides the Bible.
The Tao Te Ching, the culmination of Laozi’s thoughts, is like an everlasting well, full of treasures that can be easily obtained by putting down the bucket. ———— Nietzsche
The Tao Te Ching is about managing the body and the country. When governing a country, one must be extremely cautious and respectful, and teach by doing nothing and not speaking. To manage one's body, one should have less selfish desires and keep an open mind and a solid belly. ————Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty
The heaven and the earth are unkind and regard all things as stupid dogs; the saints are unkind and regard the common people as stupid dogs.
The greatest good is like water. Water benefits all things without dispute. ——"Tao Te Ching"
"Tao Te Ching" covers many disciplines such as philosophy, ethics, politics, military science, etc. It is respected by later generations as a treasure book for governing the country, managing the family, cultivating oneself, and studying. . It has had a profound impact on Chinese philosophy, science, politics, religion, etc., and embodies a world view and outlook on life of the ancient Chinese.