A smart and accessible introduction to the most important works of ancient Chinese philosophy -- the Analects of Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Sunzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi

This book provides an unmatched introduction to eight of the most important works of classical Chinese philosophy -- the Analects of Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Sunzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. Combining accessibility with the latest scholarship, Paul Goldin, one of the world's leading authorities on the history of Chinese philosophy, places these works in rich context as he explains the origin and meaning of their compelling ideas.

Because none of these classics was written in its current form by the author to whom it is attributed, the book begins by asking, "What are we reading?" and showing that understanding the textual history of the works enriches our appreciation of them. A chapter is devoted to each of the eight works, and the chapters are organized into three sections: "Philosophy of Heaven," which looks at how the Analects, Mozi, and Mencius discuss, often skeptically, Heaven (tian) as a source of philosophical values; "Philosophy of the Way," which addresses how Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Sunzi introduce the new concept of the Way (dao) to transcend the older paradigms; and "Two Titans at the End of an Age," which examines how Xunzi and Han Feizi adapt the best ideas of the earlier thinkers for a coming imperial age.

In addition, the book presents clear and insightful explanations of the protean and frequently misunderstood concept of qi -- and of a crucial characteristic of Chinese philosophy, nondeductive reasoning. The result is an invaluable account of an endlessly fascinating and influential philosophical tradition.

• We started tracking this book on January 17, 2021.
• This book was $14.72 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 19 times in the past 1,728 days.
• The current price of this book is $16.17 last checked 7 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past 90 days.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $15.63.
• The lowest price to date was $14.55 last reached on June 8, 2022.
• This book has been $14.55 2 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $23.70 last reached on June 1, 2022.
• This book has been $23.70 one time since we started tracking it.

• Politics & Social SciencesPhilosophyCriticism
• Politics & Social SciencesPhilosophyPhilosophy

• Publication Date: April 7, 2020
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 328 Pages
• File Size: 12 KB