Rather than focusing on the Book of Changes like other Neo-Confucians , he chose to emphasize the Four Books : the Great Learning , the Doctrine of the Mean , the Analects of Confucius , and the Mencius as the core curriculum ( thing to learn ) for aspiring scholar officials . Rather than focusing on the I Ching like other Neo-Confucians , he chose to emphasize the Four Books : the Great Learning , the Doctrine of the Mean , the Analects of Confucius , and the Mencius as the core curriculum for aspiring scholar officials .