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Primary sourceBook

The Sayings of Confucius

Confucius

A public-domain audio reading of sayings attributed to Confucius, recorded as dialogues between him and his disciples.

This collection records Confucius's own teachings as remembered and passed on by his disciples.

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Confucius, The Sayings of Confucius. LibriVox volunteer reading.

About this source

What it is

This is a LibriVox volunteer audio reading of a collection known as The Sayings of Confucius. The text presents dialogues between Confucius and his disciples that outline core Confucian virtues such as filial devotion, compassion, loyalty, and propriety.

Why it matters

These sayings form the heart of Confucianism, a system of thought that shaped social and political life in China and beyond for centuries. They reveal how Confucius taught through conversation and example rather than formal lecture.

Look closer

  • Why do you think Confucius's ideas were recorded as conversations rather than as a single written treatise?
  • What virtues does this text emphasize, and why might they have mattered in his society?
  • Remember this is a modern reading of an ancient text, not Confucius's own voice — does that change how you interpret it?

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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