Which of the Four Books and Five Classics were suitable for middle school students to read?

2024-09-15 13:58

The Four Classics referred to the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Meanings, the Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, while the Five Classics referred to the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. For middle school students, it was recommended to read the Analects of Confucius first. The Analects of Confucius was one of the Confucian classics that was very helpful in cultivating one's moral cultivation and thinking ability. In addition, the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Middle Way were also very important classics of the Confucian school. The content of these two books was more profound and required a certain level of reading ability to understand. In addition, the Book of Songs was the earliest collection of poems in China, including poems from the pre-Qin period. The Book of History was one of the most important historical documents in ancient China. It mainly recorded the political, military, and cultural aspects of the Zhou Dynasty and before. The Book of Rites was a collection of ancient Chinese rites, including all kinds of etiquette, systems, and norms. The Book of Changes was one of the classics of ancient Chinese philosophy. It mainly elaborated on the philosophical thoughts and divination methods of the Book of Changes. Lastly, the Spring and Autumn Annals was a historical record of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. It mainly recorded the political, military, and cultural aspects of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. This book is helpful in understanding ancient Chinese history and culture. In short, it was recommended for middle school students to read the Analects of Confucius, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Meanings, and the Book of Songs first. These classic works were very helpful in cultivating one's moral cultivation and thinking ability.