Archery Metaphor and Ritual in Early Confucian Texts

This book explores the significance of archery as ritual practice and literary metaphor in classical Confucian texts. Archery passages in the Analects, Mencius, and Xunzi are discussed in the light of Zhou culture and the troubled historical circumstances of early followers of the ruist master Confucius.

Rina Marie Camus

Acknowledgments Abbreviation & Illustrations Introduction Literary Metaphor, A Package Deal Chapter 1: Bow-wielding Aristocrats of Zhou The Bow in Warfare and Sports The Bow in Zhou Ritual Tradition Bow Narratives & Poetry Chapter 2: Ritual Archers in the Analects Confucius and the Bow The Competition of Gentlemen (An 3.7) Hitting the Target is not the Main Thing (An 3.16) Straight as an Arrow (An 15.16) Chapter 3: Sharp Shooters in Mencius Mencius and Archery in Early Warring States The Gentleman as Sharp Shooter (M 2A.7 & 5B.1) Teaching the Way as Archery Training (M 6A.20 & 7A.41) Moral Failure as Faulty Aiming (M 6A.9) Chapter 4: Fine Bows and Distant Targets in Xunzi Xunzi and Archery in Late Warring States Transforming Nature: Fashioning Bows from Twisted Wood Paragons of Learning: Undividedness and Not Missing a Shot Visions of Government: The State Needs Scholars as Much as Archers Concluding Remarks Bibliography About the Author