A fresh look at Confucius through the oldest known record of his life.

People have written biographies of Confucius for over 2,000 years, but a recent discovery of a Chinese tomb containing the oldest written account of his life provides an opportunity to revisit Confucius afresh. In this book, Mark Csikszentmihalyi tells the story of the life and thought of the Chinese thinker by exploring Confucius as a ritual prodigy, moral educator, scholar, and political draftsman. He also considers how Confucius has been used as a symbol for traditional Chinese culture in modern times by those who want to radically reform or destroy it and by those who seek to preserve or revive it. Confucius provides an insightful, accessible, and concise account of a key figure in East Asian thought.

“Brilliantly structured around the earliest surviving manuscript biography of Confucius, Csikszentmihalyi’s new book is perfectly pitched for accessibly exploring complexities while succinctly providing all the relevant background information. Written by one of the foremost experts on the subject, it stands to be the best introduction to the thought of Confucius within its historical context to date.” - Scott Cook, author of The Bamboo Texts of Guodian: A Study and Complete Translation

“Confucius: A New Tradition is a tremendously exciting work. Csikszentmihalyi provides a beautiful translation of the earliest extant version of Confucius’s biography and then discusses how and why this story was adapted in later times. The result is a highly insightful and delightfully written study of the different understandings of Confucius throughout history. A truly wonderful book!” - Michael Puett, author of The Path: A New Way to Think about Everything