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Secondary sourceBook1915

The Conduct of Life: The Ethics of Confucius

Miles Menander Dawson · 1915

A 1915 printed edition collecting and arranging sayings attributed to Confucius on ethics and conduct.

This 1915 compilation presents sayings attributed to Confucius, making him the source of the teachings gathered in the book.

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About this source

What it is

This is a 1915 book titled The Conduct of Life: The Ethics of Confucius, compiled by Miles Menander Dawson. It gathers sayings attributed to Confucius about ethical conduct and the 'superior man.' It is held in a library collection (Victoria University, Toronto bookplate appears in the copy).

Why it matters

Confucius lived in ancient China over two thousand years before this book was printed, so this edition is a much later compilation rather than a document from his own hand. It shows how his teachings were still being studied, translated, and reorganized for Western readers in the early 20th century, revealing his lasting influence on ideas about ethics and public life.

Look closer

  • Why might a compiler in 1915 want to present Confucius's teachings to an English-speaking audience?
  • What might be lost or changed when sayings from centuries earlier are translated and rearranged by a later editor?
  • How does the opening foreword describe Confucius's death, and why might that detail have been included?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Confucius on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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