Zongbo Zhengyao: The Analects of Classical Elegant Language (Chinese Abridged Edition)

In this book, author Zongbo Zhengyao takes the widely circulated Lu Analects as the principal framework for his study, drawing upon the oral historical traditions of the Zongru lineage together with relevant historical and scholarly materials. He reexamines and critiques a number of interpretations that, in his view, have emerged since the Han dynasty. While modern scholarship generally holds that the Lu Analects consisted of twenty chapters, the Qi Analects of twenty-two chapters, and the Ancient Analects of twenty-one chapters, the author presents an alternative perspective. He argues that the original text of the Book (Analects) differed substantially from the received editions, and that the extant versions of the Lu, Qi, and Ancient Analects all contain later additions or textual alterations. Through a systematic analysis of historical sources and textual evidence, this book offers a fresh perspective on the formation, transmission, and evolution of the Analects, contributing to ongoing scholarly discussions regarding its textual history.