1815 – 1897
James Legge (1815–1897) was a Scottish sinologist and missionary who produced the first comprehensive English translations of the Chinese classics, including the Four Books, Five Classics, and Taoist texts. His multi-volume series in Max Müller's Sacred Books of the East established the scholarly foundation for Western engagement with Confucian, Taoist, and classical Chinese philosophy. His translations remain reference points for comparative philosophical work on figures such as Mencius, Xunzi, and Confucius.
Produced the first systematic English translations of the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics
Translated the Tao Te Ching and other Taoist texts for Max Müller's Sacred Books of the East series
Appointed first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876)
Enabled Western comparative philosophy of religion through accessible renderings of primary Chinese sources
Contributed interpretive commentary situating Mencius and Xunzi within broader debates on human nature