It tries to explicate Confucian concepts from a localized perspective, making it clear that Confucian ethics scaffold the foundation of Chinese society. Understanding the relationship between Confucian ethics and Chinese society is crucial for understanding China.

The book cites a great deal of classics across four independently themed chapters, making it a valuable reference for researchers, students, or anyone interested in Confucianism and Chinese philosophy.

While Confucian Ethics and Chinese Society: Chinese Confucian Institutions, written by the same author, focuses on the way Confucian principles are omnipresent in the organization of China's institutions, this book focuses on the principles themselves.

Yi Zeng is a professor, doctoral supervisor of philosophy in School of Humanities, Tongji University. He is the vice director of The Center for Confucian Culture Studies of Fudan University. And he also serves as the vice president of Association of Confucianism Studies of Shanghai. His academic interests have focused on Neo-Confucianism, Pre-Qin Confucianism, Qing Classics.