Which statement about Confucius’s teachings is accurate?

Which statement about Confucius’s teachings is accurate?

• A. They were written by Confucius personally
• B. They were transmitted orally and later written by others
• C. They became the core of Islam
• D. They were rejected by later scholars

Answer: (B)

The way Confucius’s ideas were preserved shows why this statement is accurate. He didn’t personally publish a book of his own writings. Instead, his teachings were passed down orally by his students and followers, who memorized and taught his ideas. After his death, later scholars and disciples collected these sayings and organized them into written works, with the Analects being the best-known compilation. This pattern of oral transmission followed by written preservation is common in ancient traditions and explains why the teachings are best described as having been transmitted orally and later written by others. The other options don’t fit because Confucius did not author texts himself, Islam is unrelated to Confucianism, and Confucian thought was not rejected by later scholars but rather became foundational in East Asian culture and governance.

The way Confucius’s ideas were preserved shows why this statement is accurate. He didn’t personally publish a book of his own writings. Instead, his teachings were passed down orally by his students and followers, who memorized and taught his ideas. After his death, later scholars and disciples collected these sayings and organized them into written works, with the Analects being the best-known compilation. This pattern of oral transmission followed by written preservation is common in ancient traditions and explains why the teachings are best described as having been transmitted orally and later written by others. The other options don’t fit because Confucius did not author texts himself, Islam is unrelated to Confucianism, and Confucian thought was not rejected by later scholars but rather became foundational in East Asian culture and governance.