An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy

✍ Scribed by Karyn L. Lai

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 323
• Series: Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This comprehensive introductory textbook to early Chinese philosophy covers a range of philosophical traditions which arose during the Spring and Autumn (722-476 BCE) and Warring States (475-221 BCE) periods in China, including Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, and Legalism. It considers concepts, themes and argumentative methods of early Chinese philosophy and follows the development of some ideas in subsequent periods, including the introduction of Buddhism into China. The book examines key issues and debates in early Chinese philosophy, cross-influences between its traditions and interpretations by scholars up to the present day. The discussion draws upon both primary texts and secondary sources, and there are suggestions for further reading. This will be an invaluable guide for all who are interested in the foundations of Chinese philosophy and its richness and continuing relevance.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
List of Dates (in Chronological Order)......Page 15
1 Chinese Philosophy......Page 17
Origins of Chinese Philosophy......Page 19
Self Cultivation......Page 20
Understanding the Self: Relationships and Contexts......Page 22
Conceptions of Harmony......Page 24
Conceptions of Change......Page 26
The Philosophy of the Yijing (The Book of Changes)......Page 27
Thinking Philosophically......Page 31
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 33
Notes......Page 34
Reading the Analects......Page 35
Ren: Humaneness......Page 37
Ren, the Confucian Golden Rule......Page 38
Ren and the Cultivation of Special Relationships......Page 39
Ren as Ethical Wisdom......Page 40
Li: Behavioural Propriety......Page 41
Ren and Li......Page 43
Ren is Fundamental......Page 44
Li is Fundamental......Page 45
Ren and Li in Contemporary Philosophical Debates......Page 46
Notes......Page 49
3 The Cultivation of Humanity in Confucian Philosophy: Mencius and Xunzi and Xunzi......Page 51
Mencius: The Cultivation of Human Nature......Page 52
Xunzi: The Regulation of Human Behaviour......Page 56
Li (Appropriate Behaviour) and Fa (Standards and Penal Law)......Page 57
Zhengming: Regulating Society with Prescribed Titles......Page 59
The Way of Heaven and the Way of Humanity......Page 61
Personal Cultivation and Social Development......Page 63
Character Development and the Cultivation of Skills......Page 65
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 67
Notes......Page 68
4 Early Mohist Philosophy......Page 71
Texts and Themes......Page 72
The Essays......Page 73
Maximising the Collective Good......Page 75
Working with Standards......Page 79
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 85
Notes......Page 86
5 Early Daoist Philosophy: The Dao De Jing as a Metaphysical Treatise......Page 87
The Origins of Daoist Philosophy and the Early Daoist Texts......Page 88
Dao as Reality: the Search for a New Reality......Page 90
Opposites: Contrast and Complementation......Page 97
De and the Integrity of the Individual......Page 100
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 105
Notes......Page 106
6 Early Daoist Philosophy: Dao, Language and Society......Page 109
Dao, Language and Indoctrination......Page 110
Wuwei......Page 113
Wuwei and Government......Page 115
Wuwei and Learning......Page 118
The Ethics of Ziran and Wuwei......Page 121
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 124
Notes......Page 125
7 The Mingjia and the Later Mohists......Page 127
The Mingjia Debates......Page 130
Hui Shi......Page 131
Gongsun Long......Page 134
The Later Mohists......Page 139
Argumentation and Disputation: Bian......Page 141
Language, Names and Propositions......Page 144
Scientific Discussions......Page 147
Practising Jianai: Utilitarian Morality......Page 150
Philosophy of Language in Early China......Page 152
Notes......Page 155
8 Zhuangzi’s Philosophy......Page 158
Epistemological Questions in the Qiwu Lun......Page 161
Interpretations of Zhuangzi’s Scepticism......Page 168
Cultivating Knack......Page 172
The Implications of the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi......Page 182
Notes......Page 184
9 Legalist Philosophy......Page 188
Fa: Standards and Penal Law......Page 190
Shu: The Technique of Managing the Bureaucracy......Page 194
Shi: Power......Page 197
Han Fei, the Great Synthesiser......Page 200
Human Nature......Page 202
Citizenry: the Role of the Common People......Page 203
Best Man and Best Laws......Page 205
Bureaucracy......Page 207
Secrecy, Power and the Control of Knowledge......Page 209
Government and Human Development......Page 211
Notes......Page 212
10 The Yijing and its Place in Chinese Philosophy......Page 215
The Text and Commentaries......Page 217
Comprehensive Synthesis and Correlative Thinking during the Han......Page 219
Correlative Thinking: the Spirit of the Yijing......Page 228
(1) The Primacy of Observation......Page 229
(2) A Holistic, All-encompassing Perspective......Page 230
(3) A Dialectical and Complementary Approach to Dualisms......Page 231
(4) Correlative Thinking and Resonance......Page 233
(5) An Interpretive Approach to the Meanings of the Hexagrams and Correspondences......Page 236
(6) Constant Movement Marked by the Inevitability of Change......Page 239
(7) The Action-guiding Nature of the Judgements......Page 242
The Impact of the Yijing......Page 245
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 246
Notes......Page 247
11 Chinese Buddhism......Page 251
Basic Tenets of Buddhist Thought......Page 252
The Introduction of Buddhism into China......Page 260
Chinese Buddhist Doctrines during the fifth and sixth centuries CE......Page 266
Three Treatise (San Lun) Buddhism......Page 267
Consciousness-only (Wei Shi) Buddhism......Page 269
Tian Tai Buddhism......Page 271
Flower Garland (Hua Yan) Buddhism......Page 273
Chan Buddhism......Page 277
Chinese Buddhism......Page 283
Suggestions for Further Reading......Page 284
Notes......Page 285
Postscript......Page 288
Notes......Page 293
Texts......Page 294
Names......Page 296
Concepts and Themes......Page 299
Primary Texts......Page 304
Secondary Sources......Page 306
Index......Page 316

✦ Subjects

Философские дисциплины;История философии;История философии Востока;История философии Китая;