4 comments about Chinese Thought, from Confucius to Mao Tse-Tung.

1. Quite frankly, I expected more from a book that the University of Chicago Press ventured to publish. A nice summary but you'd swear that the author's first language wasn't English.



2. I just picked up a beautiful old copy of this at Moe's books in Berkeley. It dates from the early fifties. I don't know if this Chicago edition is simply a reprint, but I am finding it to be a throroughly well-written and enjoyable book. At times it simplifies and idealizes where perhaps a contemporary academic account might be more cautious, but this gives it a certain romance that accords with the subject matter.



3. H.G. Creel writes a wonderful book tracing the roots of Chinese thought from the pre-Confucian era to Mao Tse-Tung. Written in an easy to understand fashion, the book makes you want to learn more about the subject.



4. By far the best study ever written of Chinese philosophy. Particular attention should be paid to Chapters VII, VIII and IX to understand the Asian mind. The influence of the totalitarian vision of Legalism on Chinese thought for thousands of years is not fully understood. The Chinese Empire, created in 221 B.C., was a fusion of Legalism and Confucianism. Chairman Mao was a great admirer of the first Chinese Emperor, who hated Confucianism and was a total Legalist. Indeed, modern "Communism" in China is really very much a continuation of some past trends. Check my Listamania list for more books on Legalism.

2 comments about A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 2: The Period of Classical Learning (From the Second Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.).

1. This book is a massive accomplishment several times over. First of all, Fung Yu-lan has taken more than 2000 years of Chinese philosophy and synthesized it into a coherent narrative, doing justice to several different systems of thought and also various philosophical differences and debates within those systems in the process. Second, Derk Bodde has translated all of this expertly into English, somehow managing to handle both Fung's scholarly modern Chinese as well as classical Chinese at several different stages in its development over the centuries as found in Fung's many and voluminous quotations and citations--not to mention dealing with a host of abstruse technical terms (the significance of which often shifts from thinker to thinker or from age to age). Third, back when this was originally written in the 1930's--actually, even when it was originally published as a paperback in 1953--almost no work whatsoever had been done on the philosophers in this book nor on their ideas; what we have here is a groundbreaking magnum opus, the foundation and inspiration for much of the fine scholarship that has followed since. Finally, the book itself is massive; this is a hefty tome, no mere pocket guide.
   
   A word of warning, though. If you are looking for a casual, "summer reading" introduction to Chinese philosophy, this is not it. Do not, I repeat, do not take this book out to the beach intending to breeze through it while sipping a pina colada. Fung's exposition is clear and his prose straightforward, certainly, and wonderfully so, but the overall tone is extremely academic and scholarly and, well, downright dry. It's not afraid to make strenuous demands on the reader, and is clearly intended for serious students of this subject early in their investigations. But for anyone approaching this important book in that frame of mind, it'll prove immensely rewarding.
   
   Considering that the book was originally written in the 1930's, it has aged extremely well, too. Fung's judgment is on the whole fair and objective, and the philosophers he includes are generally ones anyone today would still recognize as key figures in Chinese philosophy. That said, it gradually becomes clear that Fung generally favors the Confucianists over the Taoists and the Buddhists, and he has a sort of early 20th-century assurance of some stark, value-laden divide between "philosophy" and "superstition" or between "science" and "supernaturalism" (former "good" and latter "bad" of course) and will sometimes anachronistically nitpick his thinkers for not being scientific and rational enough by his standards. Given Fung's timeframe, though, this slight bias is perfectly understandable and can be taken with a grain of salt without really detracting from the book as a whole. In general, Fung does an excellent job of presenting the reader with a very reliable basic overview of Chinese philosophy.
   
   To give some indication of the contents of the book, here's a rough breakdown by chapter:
   Chapter 1: A kind of general overview and introduction
   Chapter 2: Tung Chung-shu and the New Text School of Confucianism
   Chapter 3: Prognostication texts, Apocrypha, and Numerology during the Han Dynasty (Fung gets really annoyed with this stuff)
   Chapter 4: Yang Hsiung, Wang Ch'ung, and the Old Text School of Confucianism
   Chapter 5: Neo-Taoism during the Disunity Period (especially Wang Pi)
   Chapter 6: Neo-Taoism again (especially Hsiang Hsiu and Kuo Hsiang)
   Chapter 7: Buddhism and its critics during the Disunity Period (especially Seng-chao and Tao-sheng)
   Chapter 8: Buddhism during the Sui and T'ang Dynasties (especially Chi-tsang, Hsuan-tsang, and Fa-tsang)
   Chapter 9: More Sui and T'ang Buddhism (the T'ien-T'ai and Ch'an schools)
   Chapter 10: The Rise of Neo-Confucianism (mainly Han Yu and Li Ao)
   Chapter 11: Chou Tun-yi and Shao Yung
   Chapter 12: Chang Tsai and the Ch'eng Brothers
   Chapter 13: Chu Hsi ('nuff said)
   Chapter 14: Lu Chiu-yuan, Wang Shou-jen (better known as Wang Yangming), and Ming Idealism
   Chapter 15: The Continuation of Neo-Confucianism in the Ch'ing Dynasty (Han learning vs. Sung learning, and Tai Chen)
   Chapter 16: The New Text School at the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty (including K'ang Yu-wei, T'an Ssu-t'ung, and Liao P'ing)
   
   Again, if you are seriously interested in Chinese philosophy and are willing to knuckle down and tackle the subject for real, then this book is for you. If you are a graduate student specializing in this subject, well, this is a foundational text in your field so you might as well get it and start reading already--chances are high it'll be on your qualifying orals exam anyway, so get a head start. And if you're a professor in Western philosophy, this would be a great way to really acquaint yourself with what folks outside of Europe were doing in the way of having a love for wisdom.
   
   By the way, this is volume two of a set, of course. There is also a volume one covering all the major early philosophers of China, A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1: The Period of the Philosophers (from the Beginnings to Circa 100 B. C.). There's also a more user-friendly digest version combining both volumes into a shorter overview, Short History Of Chinese Philosophy.



2. Both Vol 1 and Vol 2 written by Mr Feng Yu Lan is indeed a Masterpiece of work. It covers a very wide spectrum on the Chinese roots of Philosophy and how it evolves till what the Chinese people are today. However, the writing is not so easy to be read, (font size is too small and cramped) both in terms of its content and depth. For those with vague interest in Philosophy, you may loose interest quite earlier on your reading of these books. But for those who are really keen to know more, these two volumes provide an EXCELLENT background and wealt of Knowledge! Steven Lim (RSTN) Singapore.

4 comments about A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1: The Period of the Philosophers (from the Beginnings to Circa 100 B. C.).

1. This book comes in two volumes, volume one writes about the history of Chinese philosophy from antiquity to before the Han period while the second volume deals with Han learning onwards to Prof. Fung's time, i.e. early 20th century.

   The style of Prof. Fung's writing differs from many authors of history of philosophy whereby he allows the philosophers to speak for themselves by quoting their work and integrating it into his own narrative and analysis. The result is a study which is informative, intellectual, and at the same time accessable. I have yet to see a better book on history of Chinese philosophy in the English language (although Wing Tsit Chan's "Sourcebook of Chinese Philosophy" is good but the analysis is not as succint and well interpreted as Fung's).

   This book, however, can be heavy for the first timer who has just got himself/herself interested in Chinese philosophy and would like to read up more on it. For people who falls into this category, a more accessable book and to the same high quality is Dr. Fung's shorter work, "A Short History of Chinese Philosophy", also available in Amazon.com. This shorter history deals with the main philosophers, the more important ones and leave out the more remote philosopher. Dr, Fung also limited the number of quotes associated with the philosopher. Although this is so, it is still a first class work. This longer history is suitable for people who has some knowledge already and wants to know more, go deeper. It is suitable for people doing a course in Chinese philosophy in college.

   If you're really into Chinese philosophy, please do not miss this book.




2. This book is one of a two-volume set. This volume covers ancient Chinese philosophy up to 100 B.C. (i.e., the period of Confucius, Lao Tzu, and others). Volume two covers later Chinese philosophy. Fung Yu-lan wrote the original work in Chinese. Derk Bodde, a noted Sinologist in his own right, did an excellent job of translating the work into English. (This was no small feat, since Fung quotes from a variety of works from over two thousand years of Chinese history -- works often written in quite different styles of Classical Chinese.)

   Fung Yu-lan was one of the most important Chinese philosophers and historians of philosophy of the 20th century. This book (along with volume two) has introduced generations of scholars and general readers to Chinese philosophers, and is justly considered a classic. However, it is now very much out of date. Furthermore, Fung studied in the U.S., and this influence led him to read a sort of Platonism back into some Chinese philosophical texts.

   Any informed scholar should have a copy of this (in English and in Chinese), but the general reader would be better off reading Benjamin Schwartz's _The World of Thought in Ancient China_ or A.C. Graham's _Disputers of the Tao_.




3. This book represents at least as great an accomplishment for the translator, Derk Bodde, as it does for the author, Fung Yu-lan, because Bodde rendered into English not only Fung's text in modern Chinese, but also countless passages in classical Chinese that Fung used to illustrate his points. For a generation, this was the foremost, if not the only, guide to Chinese philosophy in the English language.
   Now that is no longer the case, and time has not been kind. Fung's interpretations are often outdated--it is important to bear in mind that he revised his thinking many times over the course of his life, and this collection does not contain his final views; moreover, the materials surveyed reflect scholarly interests from several decades ago. In particular, there is a noticeable emphasis on scholastic philosophy. Writings from beyond the high orthodoxy tend to get short shrift.
   The two volumes are still handy as an overview of the long and engrossing history of Chinese philosophy, but unless one reads them in conjunction with more recent studies, they are likely to present a misleading picture.



4. Mr Fung Yu-Lan's writing is very comprehensive and profound. It gives a very good background knowledge on the Chinese Philosophy throughout the ages and what really shapes Chinese to behave, act and think they way they do in the current context. There is a lot of differences between Western Philosophy and that of Chinese per se. Good read but have to digest slowly. Not a book to be read at one go. Pause and think as you read. Mr Fung is perhaps, in my opinion, one very knowledgeable researcher and writer on this said topic. Bravo! Steven Lim (RSTN).

1 comments about The Intellectual Foundations of China.

1. Dr. Mote's monograph outlines the foundations of Chinese thought from Confucius (551-479 BC) through the bureaucratic innovations of the first dynasty (the Ch'in, 221-206 BC). The book covers early Chinese cosmology, Confucianism and its derivative schools, Taoism, Mohism, and the pragmatic successes of history's first totalitarian government -- the Ch'in State. It does not attempt to cover later influences such as Buddhism.

   The actual text is short (114 pages) so Dr. Mote must use a concise (and occasionally dense) style to cover all this ground. When the reader finishes this book he is rewarded with an introductory understanding of each of these philosophies, how they developed, and how they influenced each other. An excellent jumping-off point for further studies. (Uses Wade-Giles and earlier romanizations).

3 comments about The Essential Confucius.

1. Presents the Analects "in authentic I Ching order," an absurd decision which just means that any given passage is practically impossible to find. (In fact, a number of passages are left out, and at least one is included twice.) Contemporary language, occasionally clumsy and rarely lively. Pinyin romanization.



2. In his book on 'The Essential Tao', Thomas Cleary presented a wonderful picture of one of the dominant strands of Asian wisdom, one that has intrigued and fascinated people in the West in the past few generations. Cleary is one of the foremost scholars of ancient Chinese and Japanese. Mostly likely, if you have read a copy of ancient Chinese classic 'The Art of War' (a text widely popular, from historians and military strategists to corporate raiders and managers), it has been one of Cleary's translations.
   
   Following the success of the book on the Tao, Cleary turned to another pillar of ancient Chinese thought, and developed this further volume in the 'Essentials' series, The Essential Confucius, the heart of Confucius' teachings in authentic I Ching order.
   
   Confucius is a confusing character to classify. He does not fit the characterisation of the typical religious leader. He certainly did not mean to found a religion. Confucius was an educator, a social critic, a politician, and philosopher.
   
   '"The Analects of Confucius" are a basic source for a wide range of advice on human affairs--from governing nations and managing enterprises to dealing with society and getting along with others.'
   
   Confucius is much more than the author of fortune-cookie proverbs. In this work, Cleary has set forth the sayings of Confucius in the order of the sixty-four classic I Ching hexagrams. Many of these sayings are reduced (and likewise dismissed) as fortune-cookie sayings; however, taken together with the commentaries of Confucius, these give profound insight into the human condition. The I Ching, or literally, Book of Change, is a book which Confucius studied and promoted. Thus, to use it as a guide to Confucius' own writings is appropriate and authentic.
   
   Confucius tried to stimulate people into original thinking, into independent thinking. It is ironic that so many times in history that original thinking has been suppressed in favour of Confucian purity -- a perennial danger in any religion.
   
   An example of Cleary's technique is in order:
   
   Book of Change
   
   Good people examine themselves and cultivate virtue
   
   - Confucius said, 'Study as though you will not reach, as if you may lose it.' (8:17)
   
   - Confucius said, 'The virtue of balanced normalcy is consummate, it seems, but it has been scarce among the people for a long time.' (6:29)
   
   Cleary presents the I Ching, the setting of Confucius proverb, and then various commentaries upon it. Through the sixty-four sayings and commentaries, one gets a sense of exegesis similar in character to Mishnah and Talmud as well as various Christian commentators.
   
   Confucius above all believed in the responsibility of the learned to the ignorant, the powerful to the weak, and the wealthy for the poor. Each individual is entrusted with potential to serve the greater good of all, not just himself or herself. These are words that are worthy hearing and elevating, and not dismissing as after-dinner quips.
   
   May your reading be truly enlightened in the virtues of humanity, justice, courtesy and wisdom.



3. I've always been a fan of Confucius and his profound proverbs which is what led me to pick up The Essential Confucius the other day from a z shop seller. I got it for an excellent price but would not have been disappointed had I paid much more for it. The book's organization was acceptable. Its pages are brief and accessible. Any work though which allows readers to peruse his priceless aphorisms is a treasure. Sometimes I am astounded by the fact that the words of a man who lived 2500 years ago can so aptly describe our present day. His perspicacity illustrates just how timeless human nature really is. Confucius, who thought China was the world, suffers no cultural limitations and travels gloriously. Indeed, his observations remain pertinent for all peoples.

No comments about Wheels in the Head: Educational Philosophies of Authority, Freedom, and Culture from Confucianism to Human Rights , 3E (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education).

4 comments about Confucius: The Secular As Sacred (Religious Traditions of the World).

1. As an undergraduate and graduate student I have read this book a total of at least five times. Each time, I am impressed by how clearly Fingarette clarifies the important fundamentals of Confucianism that we often forget in our attempt to exoticize this central Chinese philosopher. A short, easy to read book, it ranks with Waley's "Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China" as one of the first important texts to read to understand Chinese philosophy.



2. While thought provoking, Fingarette often misses the nuances of meaning in the text of the _Analects_, which limits the accuracy of his understanding. Further, Fingarette underestimates the difficulties inherent in dealing with a text which clearly is the work of many hands over a longer period of time, not a treatise in the western sense. This book is worth reading, but must be approached with great skepticism.



3. This book is essential reading for anyone seriously interested in Confucius, Confucianism, or early Chinese thought in general. It is quite convincing on some points, but also very problematic on others.

   Fingarette was a mainstream Western philosopher, who said that when he first read Confucius, he found him to be a "prosaic and parochial moralizer." However, he eventually became convinced that Confucius had "an imaginative vision of man equal in its grandeur" to any that he knew.

   Fingarette is at his best explaining the importance of ritual in Confucianism. Most of us nowadays think of rituals as useless affectations. However, Fingarette shows that Confucius regarded rituals (from handshaking to funerals) as an important part of being human. It is when we participate in such ritual activities that we are most distinctively human. In addition, ritual has the power to enable humans to work together without the need for coercion. Perhaps if we in the West can recover the feeling for the importance of shared, sacred rituals, we can help give more unity to our chaotic society.

   Fingarette was also deeply influenced by Western behaviorism, and this leads to some of the less plausible aspects of his book. He wishes to deny that there is any "internal" dimension to Confucius' thought. If what Fingarette wishes to claim is that Confucius did not think of human psychology the way that, say, Augustine or Descartes did, then he is quite correct. (But then who is Fingarette arguing with? No serious interpreter I know of has read Confucius as a Cartesian.) However, Fingarette sometimes seems to want to claim that emotions and attitudes are, for Confucius, perfectly public states. I think that this is to project Western behaviorism onto Confucius (and behaviorism itself derives what limited plausibility it has from being a reaction to more extreme forms of Cartesianism).

   Warts and all, this is still a classic book on Confucius after almost twenty years. If you want to learn more about Confucius, H.G. Creel's _Confucius and the Chinese Way_ is worth reading. For broader surveys of Confucianism, you might read Philip J. Ivanhoe's _Confucian Moral Self Cultivation_, or the anthology he and I co-edited, _Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy_.




4. I very much enjoyed the originality of this book. I don't agree with the author's major premise regarding the interpretation of one of the analects, but I found the originality refreshing. This should not be your first book on Confucius. But once you are comfortable in having some understanding of his teachings, at least enough understanding to recognize when Fingarette departs from orthodox interpretations, then you will greatly enjoy this book. I think it is a "must read" for serious students! If you are interested in a practical view of Confucianism, I recommend the book by Robert Canright: "Achieve Lasting Happiness, Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Life."

No comments about World Religions: Beliefs Behind Today's Headlines: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism.

2 comments about Confucius Analects (Hackett Classics Series).

1. None of these reviews relate to the Slingerland edition of Analects, which is the best around.



2. Slingerland's translation of Confucius' Analects is a helpful addition to the current literature on the subject. Destined to be used for college student, Slingerland gathers a number of traditional commentaries on each translated verse as well as giving a helpful glossary of Chinese terms and names of person referred in the text. While I personally would prefer D.C. Lau's translation, Slingerland's prose is quite good and less cumbersome than Ames and Rogermont's philosophical translation. This is a helpful introduction to Confucian thought for English-language reader.

No comments about Tao Te Ching: Six Complete Translations.