Analysis of the Analects and The Book of Songs: Literature & Language Essay

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Analysis of the Analects and The Book of Songs
The world's greatest ancient thinkers wrote the analects, which is the basis of the Chinese and the East Asian intellectual thought. It is a collection of Confucius' concepts and teachings that his disciples later rectified. These teachings have proven to be the greatest quotes of all time, not only in China and Asia but globally. Arguably, half of the teachings and concepts are enough to rule and guide a nation to a moral path. The Analects aimed at education newer generations. The presence of a hierarchical society with rigid class structure, self-cultivating benevolence and the eternal search for wisdom is the central themes throughout the book.
On the other hand, The Book of Songs presents a collection of ancient Chinese poetry often ranked as among the first Confucianism classics. It encompasses 305 pomes that date back to the Western Zhou Dynasty until the middle of the periods of spring and autumn. The book is categorized into three major parts; the custom, the elegance and the ode. The primary function of the book at the time was to educate people about personal and societal etiquette. Ancient Chinese teachings were all aligned towards positive personal development, ability to manage a family, and state governance. All these teachings were shaped towards respecting Heaven, speaking with respect about Heaven, serving Heaven, revering Heaven, and following heavenly laws. This essay is an analysis of the two books, the Analects and The Book of Songs and how the two books contributed to shaping the morals in China.
The two books emphasize the importance of respect to self, others, the state and to the Gods. Respect is paramount in ensuring that peace and unity prevail hence achieving a morally upright society. In The Analects, we see that respect is cultivated from when a person is young an by the time he is grown; he will keep up on the respectful track. "The gentleman devotes his efforts to the roots, for once the roots are established, the Way will grow therefrom. Being good as a son and obedient as a young man is, perhaps, the root of a man's character" (Lau I:2). This indicates that the Confucius teachings believed in naturing respect from childhood. Many rewards come with a society that upholds respects. Confucius believed that respect ensures peace across societal hierarchies. The Book of Songs emphasizes on the same respect too. Brothers begin exercising respect by respecting themselves and ensuring that they uphold peace. "The chief duty of the gentleman is to be dignified 1 and so inspire respect in the common people" (Waley, 293). Till today, respect is very paramount, although people have lost the values of the ancient teachings on the importance of respect.
The Analects prescribes a society where the order and structure. The hierarchical difference that separated one class from another enhanced the morals that were deeply rooted in the minds of Chinese. Confucius began his teachings at a time when China was at a continuous war because of political instability. Sadly, Confucius never lived to see and enjoy the prevailing peace that came because of the teachings found in The Analects. According to Confucius, the hierarchical ackn...