Russell Freedman, illustrated by Frédéric Clément,
Confucius: The Golden Rule.
Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 2002.

Every September 28, people gather in the Chinese city of Qufu, in Shandong Province, to celebrate the birthday of Confucius, who shared his philosophies with students and government officials alike. In 2000, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman (Lincoln: A Photobiography) took part in this celebration, honoring the venerable man's 2,551st birthday while researching this informative and restrained volume. Freedman puts Chinese history in clear perspective while arguing that Confucius was a more respectable scholar and controversial figure than fortune cookies lead us to believe.

Before the violent Qin Dynasty founded the Chinese empire in 221 B.C., Qufu was the thriving capital of the independent state of Lu. Confucius was born to a poor family in Lu, in about 551 B.C. His original name was Kong Qiu, and his devoted pupils called him “Kongfuzi” or “Master Kong.” “He has been described as a homely giant with warts on his nose, two long frong teeth that protruded over his lower lip, and a wispy beard,” Freedman writes, then adds that Confucius had “undeniable charm” and intelligence that led to his success as a police commissioner. Confucius was not content maintaining the status quo, however, and he argued for a populist, merit-based government as opposed to inflexible monarchical rule.

Freedman establishes that Confucius believed in equality and welcomed youthful students from all social classes. Yet while he calls Confucius's adherents “disciples,” he writes that Confucianism is not a religion. He draws a parallel between Confucius's secular doctrine (“Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself”) and the Christian Golden Rule (“In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you”). This helps readers account for Confucius's Latin name, given by Jesuit missionaries who read his teachings during the sixteenth century: “A large number of European philosophers, statesmen, and writers discovered ... that more than 2,000 years ealier, in the 'mysterious Orient,' a Chinese sage had been thinking some of the same thoughts they were thinking,” Freedman writes, noting that Confucius's progressive ideals have been reinterpreted (and sometimes misinterpreted) all over the world.

Frédéric Clément (The Merchant of Marvels and the Peddler of Dreams) complements Freedman's lucid text with stylized ink drawings of Chinese settings. These drawings, which appear to be discolored with age and flaking at the edges, resemble illuminated pages from a crumbling manuscript. Clément sprinkles the images with flower buds, berries, and peppers that suggest the ephemeral quality of time. Acknowledging Confucius's unusual appearence, Clément depicts him with two rabbity but not comical front teeth. The two white rectangles become a recurrent motif throughout the illustrations: when Confucius sets off on a journey, two white sails drift along a river; when rival groups go to war, two white flags fly; and when Confucius sits in his garden, two white paper lamps hang side by side on a branch. These odd but reverential images pay homage to a philosopher whose influence is felt twenty-five centuries after his death.

Nathalie op de Beeck

Winter 2002 - 2003