“The Six Confucian Classics define my life, and my life is an expression of the teachings of Confucianism taught in the Six Classics”. This is a famous quote from the Song dynasty Confucian scholar Lu Jiuyuan. The first part can be interpreted as “for everything I do, I can find justification in the Six Classics.” In other words, the Six Classics serve as the standards for my actions and behaviour. The second part can be taken to mean “I have my personal understanding and interpretation of the Six Classics, and my actions and behaviour serve as annotations to the Six Classics.” In this context, I interpret the second part as “living out the essence and teachings of the Six Classics through my own life”.

Confucianism is human-based, and the core concept of this philosophical system is to teach people how to be good individuals, live a meaningful life, and strive for personal perfection for a life without regrets. Confucianism has constructed a set of humanistic doctrines and values through family, school, and social education. These doctrines, largely based on the Six Classics, have had a significant and profound impact on traditional Chinese society.

The Six Classics refer to the Book of Odes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, the Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. These six titles, believed to have been compiled and edited by Confucius, were textbooks studied by disciples of Confucianism in ancient times. These works contain profound scholarship and core values of Confucianism, serving as an important cornerstone of the Confucian tradition for thousands of years. For modern society and individuals, the Confucian classics continue to be important and enlightening. In this talk, I will elucidate how modern life can be reshaped in the spirit of the classics.

Professor Philip YS Leung is Emeritus Professor of the Department of History and Director of the Research Centre for Contemporary Chinese Culture, Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has served as College Head of Chung Chi College for ten years and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts for six years. During his tenure, he also held positions as the Head of the Department of History, the Director of the Research Institute for the Humanities, and the Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies. In the newly launched “Understanding China” course, Professor Leung is the speaker of the second module, “History as Mirror: Looking at Today’s China from the Past”.