In this thematic, well-written portrait, Confucius is less an authoritarian, ultra-stern traditionalist concerned with squeezing everything into a rigid theoretical role and ritual structure and more a thoughtful guide to each individual’s unique spiritual and ethical life, a life in which ritual and role mostly set the table for a life ending in mastery, or gongfu. Ni's emphasis on a truly important side of Confucius’s philosophy is interesting, and he offers some thoughtful, innovative takes on Confucius’s philosophy. This approach also allows the author to defend Confucius from common criticisms and even allows opposing later Confucians Mencius and Xunzi. Focusing on gongfu helps keep individuals from reducing Confucian thought into their own deontological/consequentialist principle-oriented frameworks…. [T]his is an interesting text with insightful passages and challenging interpretations worth pondering.

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.

Choice Reviews

“The book is a thoughtful and inspiring presentation of Confucianism as arguably the longest and most influential ethical and spiritual traditions in human history. It is highly readable with many insightful observations. Especially noteworthy is its emphasis on self-cultivation, spiritual exercises, and learning of the heart-and-mind as essential features of Confucian humanism in the 21st century.”

Tu Weiming, Director of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University, Distinguished Researcher in the Asian Center at Harvard University

“Peimin Ni has provided a portrait of Confucius that makes him more complex and also more human than he generally is presented as being.”

Joel Kupperman, University of Connecticut

Ni Peimin’s book shifts attention from considering Confucius as a theorist to reading him as a guide to the art of living, or to life as an aesthetic endeavor. Confucius is masterfully constructed as an interrelated whole, while at the same time, parts can be selected for discussion or a short read, without a need to link them to other parts. The sections are accurate in their biographical and historical details, while teaching that art of living. In both music and society, harmony works longer if it is a blend of differing voices than if it is the conformity of all instruments or voices sounding (thinking) the same. There is harmony in variety. In the section on secular immortality, Confucius and Ni ask us to consider one kind of immortality as the lasting impact of virtuous exemplars, whom they describe, on their communities and larger social groups. Throughout the book there are insightful comparisons with relevant Western figures. For example, the goal of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one’s life in this world.'

Donald Munro, University of Michigan

In this remarkable book, Peimin Ni presents a systematic interpretation of Confucius from a gongfu perspective and invites readers to appreciate the Confucian ethical life in artistic, rather than theoretical, terms. Thus understood, Confucius’s teachings ultimately are aimed not at setting up moral principles and rules to constrain people, but at providing guidance to enable people to lead the good life. This book provides readers a refreshing view of Confucius and his philosophy. It makes an excellent reading for scholarly exploration as well as in the classroom.

Chenyang Li, author of Reshaping Confucianism: A Progressive Inquiry

Peimin Ni’s eloquent new book is an ideal introduction to Confucius and Confucianism. The book ranges from early stories to modern history, but is centered throughout on the Analects, our best source for Confucius’s teachings. Professor Ni gives us a sympathetic and engaging treatment of Confucius as person, thinker, and teacher, and makes clear why Confucius’s values, life story, and ideas have been so inspiring.

Stephen C. Angle, Professor of Philosophy and East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University