The Confucian Analects

Since the work was indeed of that character, and because many things in the commentary remained unexplained or were unsatisfactory, he transcribed the entirety of Shi’s This "Shih" (Shi) likely refers to a different scholar than Sun Shi, possibly Ye Shi, whose work was being adapted. work, The Sounds and Meaning, and after inserting some of his own words, he published it under the title The Annotations of Sun Shi. This is the same individual whom Zhu Xi original: Choo He calls "a scholar of Shaowu."¹⁰

In the 12th century, Zhu Xi appeared on the scene and built upon the work of all his predecessors. He published one work separately on Mencius,¹¹ and two works on both Mencius and the Confucian Analects.¹² The second of these, Collected Comments on the Analects and Mencius, is now the standard authority on the subject. Since 1315 a.d., it has served as the official standard for orthodoxy and scholarship in the imperial civil service examinations.

3. Under the current Referring to the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), which was the "present" dynasty when Legge wrote this in 1861. dynasty, two important contributions have been made to the study of Mencius. They are both published in the Explanations of the Classics under the Imperial Qing Dynasty.¹³ The first, titled An Examination of the Text in the Commentary and Annotations of Mencius, comprises sections 1039 to 1054. It was written by Ruan Yuan original: Yuen Yuen, the Governor-General who oversaw the publication of that massive compilation. Its primary goal is to establish the authentic text by comparing the oldest and best manuscripts and editions, as well as the remains of a series of stone tablets containing the text of Mencius. These tablets were prepared during the reign of Emperor Gaozong original: Kaou-tsung (1128–1162 a.d.) and are currently located in the Examination Hall of Hangzhou original: Hang-chow.

The second work, which is even more significant, is contained in sections 1117–1146. Its title is The Correct Meaning of Mencius, written by Jiao Xun original: Tseaou Seun, a juren juren: a candidate who passed the provincial-level civil service examination of Jiangdu original: Keang-too.¹⁴ This work is intended to be the kind of scholarly commentary Sun Shi would have produced if he had actually written the text that has circulated under his name for so long. I regret that I did not become acquainted with it sooner.

¹⁰ Ruan Yuan, Preface to the Collation of the Commentary and Annotations of Mencius original: 阮元孟子註疏校勘記序.
¹¹ The Essentials of Mencius original: 孟子指要.
¹² Collected Meanings of the Analects and Mencius; Collected Comments on the Analects and Mencius original: 論孟集義; 論孟集註.
¹³ See Volume I, prolegomena, page 133.
¹⁴ The Correct Meaning of Mencius, by Jiao Xun of Jiangdu original: 孟子正義 江都焦孝廉循著.