Synopses & Reviews
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is a milestone along the complex and difficult road to significant understanding by Westerners of the Asian peoples and a monumental contribution to the cause of philosophy. It is the first anthology of Chinese philosophy to cover its entire historical development. It provides substantial selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period--ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary--and includes in their entirety some of the most important classical texts. It deals with the fundamental and technical as well as the more general aspects of Chinese thought. With its new translation of source materials (some translated for the first time), its explanatory aids where necessary, its thoroughgoing scholarly documentation, this volume will be an indispensable guide for scholars, for college students, for serious readers interested in knowing the real China.
Review
[E]normous chunks of the philosophers, and the commentary reduced to the essential minimum. Mr Chan's theme is Chinese humanism, because this is the unavoidable theme of Chinese philosophy in nearly all ages. Heroically he has translated his philosophers himself, with the result that for the first time the entire map is seen through a consistent eye. 'Source Book': no. Please look on it instead as a massive and superb anthology. -- Robert Payne, Saturday Review [Mr. Chan's] brilliant scholarship has enabled him to strike a balance between modern, medieval and ancient periods as well as between Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and for the first time a leading Chinese scholar has carefully weighed the influences and importance's as well as the themes of many of the Chinese philosophers. -- John Coombes, Columbus Enquirer [T]he Neo-Confucian translations in particular are the most reliable yet made, and show a familiarity with classical allusions, early colloquial idiom and the turns of Neo-Confucian thought which no Western translator can hope to emulate. -- A. C. Graham, Journal of the American Oriental Society [T]he volume is virtually an encyclopedia. -- Journal of Bible and Religion
Review
"[E]normous chunks of the philosophers, and the commentary reduced to the essential minimum. Mr Chan's theme is Chinese humanism, because this is the unavoidable theme of Chinese philosophy in nearly all ages. Heroically he has translated his philosophers himself, with the result that for the first time the entire map is seen through a consistent eye. 'Source Book': no. Please look on it instead as a massive and superb anthology."--Robert Payne, Saturday Review
Review
"[Mr. Chan's] brilliant scholarship has enabled him to strike a balance between modern, medieval and ancient periods as well as between Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and for the first time a leading Chinese scholar has carefully weighed the influences and importance's as well as the themes of many of the Chinese philosophers."--John Coombes, Columbus Enquirer
Review
"[T]he Neo-Confucian translations in particular are the most reliable yet made, and show a familiarity with classical allusions, early colloquial idiom and the turns of Neo-Confucian thought which no Western translator can hope to emulate."--A. C. Graham, Journal of the American Oriental Society
Review
"[T]he volume is virtually an encyclopedia."--Journal of Bible and Religion
Review
[T]he volume is virtually an encyclopedia. A. C. Graham - Journal of the American Oriental Society
Synopsis
A monumental compendium of Chinese thought, from pre-Confucianism to Chinese Communism
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy covers the entire historical development of Chinese philosophy from its ancient origins to today, providing the most wide-ranging and authoritative English-language anthology of Chinese thought available. This superb book brings together key selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period--ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary--and presents these texts in their entirety. Each selection is accompanied by explanatory aids and scholarly documentation that shed invaluable light on all aspects of Chinese thought.
Featuring elegant and faithful translations of some of the most important classical writings, some translated here for the first time, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in Chinese philosophy and culture.
Synopsis
A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy is a milestone along the complex and difficult road to significant understanding by Westerners of the Asian peoples and a monumental contribution to the cause of philosophy. It is the first anthology of Chinese philosophy to cover its entire historical development. It provides substantial selections from all the great thinkers and schools in every period--ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary--and includes in their entirety some of the most important classical texts. It deals with the fundamental and technical as well as the more general aspects of Chinese thought. With its new translation of source materials (some translated for the first time), its explanatory aids where necessary, its thoroughgoing scholarly documentation, this volume will be an indispensable guide for scholars, for college students, for serious readers interested in knowing the real China.
Description
Bibliography: p. 793-811.
Table of Contents
The growth of humanism -- The humanism of Confucius -- Idealistic Confucianism: Mencius -- Moral and social programs: the Great Learning -- Spiritual dimensions: the Doctrine of the Mean -- Naturalistic Confucianism: Hsèun Tzu -- The natural way of Lao Tzu -- The mystical way of Chuang Tzu -- Mo Tzu's doctrines of universal love, heaven, and social welfare -- Debates on metaphysical concepts: the Logicians -- The Yin Yang school -- Legalism -- The philosophy of change -- Yin Yang Confucianism: Tung Chung-shu -- Taoistic Confucianism: Yang Hsiung -- The naturalism of Wang Ch'ung -- The Taoism of Huai-nan Tzu -- Negative Taoism in the Lieh Tzu -- Neo-Taoism -- The seven early Buddhist schools -- Seng-chao's doctrine of reality.