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Secondary sourceBook1691

The Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher

Anonymous (after Louis Cousin / Jean de La Brune) · 1691

An English book from 1691 introducing Confucius's teachings to readers in England, based on earlier Jesuit Latin translations.

This 1691 English book shows how Confucius's teachings, filtered through Jesuit translations, first reached English readers.

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Title page of 'The Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher', dark scan. Text reads: 'The Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher, who flourished above Five Hundred Years before the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Being one of the most choicest Pieces of Learning remaining of that Nation.' Below: 'Licensed, Feb. 25, 1691, J. Fraser' and 'London: Printed for Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall, MDCXCI.'
The Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher, London, 1691. British Library.

About this source

What it is

This is a book printed in London in 1691, titled The Morals of Confucius, a Chinese Philosopher. Its author is anonymous, though it draws on earlier Latin translations made by Jesuit missionaries, associated with Louis Cousin and Jean de La Brune. The title page describes Confucius as living 'above Five Hundred Years before the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' It is held by the British Library.

Why it matters

This book is one of the earliest ways English readers encountered Confucius's ideas, filtered through Jesuit missionaries in China and then translated again into English. It shows how knowledge of Confucius traveled across cultures and languages, changing as it passed through different hands, and how Europeans of the Enlightenment period became curious about Chinese philosophy.

Look closer

  • Why might the title page compare Confucius's dates to the birth of Jesus Christ?
  • What might get lost or changed when ideas are translated from Chinese to Latin to English?
  • Who decided which of Confucius's ideas were included, and why might that matter?

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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