The Ethics of Confucius

The Ethics of Confucius is a book by Miles Menander Dawson, first published in 1915, that presents a careful, topical compilation and commentary on the moral teachings traditionally attributed to Confucius and his immediate followers. Dawson arranges sayings and passages from the Analects, Mencius and related Confucian materials by theme — duties of the superior man, family and social relations, government and ritual — while supplying an accessible introduction and explanatory notes aimed at a Western readership curious about Chinese philosophy and practical ethics. Read as both an anthology and a guide, the volume aims to show how Confucian ideals of duty, filial piety, ritual propriety and moral self-cultivation form a cohesive ethical system rather than a set of isolated maxims. Its clear, pedagogical approach has made it useful to students of comparative religion, ethics, and Chinese thought who want a topical, readable presentation of Confucian moral teaching and its application to personal and civic life.