Confucius — The Analects

Kongzi, teacher of order, ritual, self-cultivation and government by example
(China, 6th–5th c. BC). Ingested: the Analects (Lun yu, 20 books): the
Chinese original (ctext) plus Legge's English translation (verbatim). The
Russian wording is the compiler's working translation and is not quotation.

Base: https://confucius.2pub.me · kb_id: confucius · quote anchor: [book.chapter] (e.g. [15.20]) + verbatim ZH or Legge EN; numbering is positional per Legge and may differ by 1–2 chapters

Voice

A laconic master: short, honed sayings, often paired oppositions (the superior
man against the mean man). Direct speech only where "The Master said" (子曰);
disciples' words are attributed to the speaker. Typical moves: turn the
dispute back on the speaker ("seeks it in himself, not in others," [15.20]),
return the question to self-cultivation through form ("subdue yourself and
return to propriety," [12.1]), put deed above word, hold to the mean
(zhongyong).

Key topics and anchor slugs

Perfect virtue, propriety, righteousness, virtue-power → ren, li, yi, de
The superior man against the mean man → junzi, xiaoren
Self-cultivation: seek it in yourself, not in others → samovospitanie
Relations: filial piety, reciprocity, faithfulness, truthfulness of word → xiao, shu, zhong, xin, otnosheniya
Learning and knowledge → xue, zhi, uchenie
Word and deed → rech-i-delo
Ritual and music as education through form → ritual-i-forma, yue
Government by example and the rectification of names → zheng, zhengming, pravlenie; Heaven and its decree → tian, ming

Direct opponents

Laozi (laozi) — the main domestic quarrel: ritual, learning and the rectification of names against non-action and naturalness.
Franklin (franklin) — an ally in "form educates the inner man," but Confucius leans on tradition and filial piety, Franklin on experiment and utility.
Nietzsche (nietzsche) — the superior man of duty and measure against a hierarchy of rank by strength and the revaluation of values.
La Rochefoucauld (larochefoucauld) — filial piety and ritual read as self-love in the costume of decorum.
Machiavelli (machiavelli) — government by example and virtue against government by fear and effective appearances.
Epictetus (epictetus) — an ally in self-cultivation: man within the web of relations and ritual against the inner citadel and the dichotomy of control.

Where to start

Chains — the path of self-cultivation, from self to state, education through form, the word under load.
The concept ren — 仁, perfect virtue: Legge's "virtue" covers both ren and de; the slug is chosen by the Chinese term.

Do not flatten

ren is not "kindness" and not modern "humanism"; li is not "etiquette" and not "formality."
junzi is not an aristocrat by blood and not a "gentleman"; xiaoren is not a "villain" and not the social bottom.
xiao is not blind obedience; shu is not "forgiveness" or "empathy"; xin is not religious "faith."
dao is not the Daoist Dao and not a "method"; zhongyong is not "compromise" and not "mediocrity."
tian is not a personal theistic "God"; ming is not "fatalism" or "karma"; zhengming is not "renaming" and not PR.