The Five Classics

The Five Classics were five books of Confucian thought compiled by his followers after his death. The Five Classics included the I Ching, or Book of Changes; the Analects, a book of Confucius’s sayings and conversation; and the Mengzi, a collection of the teachings of Mencius (390?-305? B.C.), one of the most influential figures in popularizing the development of Confucius’s philosophies. Mastery of the Five Classics became proof of moral fitness and the chief sign of a gentleman.