"A judicious selection from primary sources to illustrate the growth of ideas in early imperial times. Teachers and students will welcome these readable translations of passages drawn from Han writings that are not widely known and which add depth to existing views of Chinese ways of thought, religious practices, and means of government."
—Michael Loewe, University of Cambridge
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"The intellectual contributions of the Han (206 BCE-CE 220) have for too long received short shrift in introductory anthologies of Chinese thought. It was during the Han's unprecedented centuries-long unification of China that a canon of classical texts emerged, syncretic and scholastic trends transformed the legacy of pre-imperial philosophy, and popular religious movements shook official verities. With Mark Csikszentmihalyi's collection, readers at last have an accessible, eclectic introduction to the key themes of thought during this crucial period. Providing clear introductory essays and elegant, readable translations, Csikszentmihalyi exercises a judicious revisionism by breaking down stereotypes of philosophical orthodoxy and offering a subtler vision of cross-fertilization in thought. His juxtaposition of texts that reflect very different social milieux and their problems gives a more vivid picture of the Han than has ever before been available in an English-language collection. The result is a work that should by rights be required reading in intellectual history courses for years to come."
—David Schaberg, University of California, Los Angeles
"A judicious selection from primary sources to illustrate the growth of ideas in early imperial times. Teachers and students will welcome these readable translations of passages drawn from Han writings that are not widely known and which add depth to existing views of Chinese ways of thought, religious practices, and means of government."
—Michael Loewe, University of Cambridge
"This reader is an incredibly rich resource. It fills a crucial pedagogical gap, and will no doubt become a standard textbook in the teaching of early Chinese thought to non-specialists. The depth of annotation and notes for further reading also make it rich hunting ground for advanced students and specialists in the field, who have much to learn from Csikszentmihalyi's breadth of scholarship and lucid analysis of the world of thought and practice in the Han."
—Edward Slingerland, University of British Columbia
"The selections are judiciously chosen, insightfully introduced, and fluidly and accurately translated. At Hackett's budget-conscious list price, the book is an obvious choice for the classroom, and ranks as one of the most important sourcebooks in Chinese civilization to have appeared in recent decades. . . . Virtually every aspect of Han philosophy and religion is represented between these covers."
—Paul R. Goldin, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations,
University of Pennsylvania
Contents:
Foreword; Introduction
Ethics and Statecraft
1. Self-Cultivation and Education
1.1 Dong Zhongshu, "An In-Depth Investigation into Names," Luxuriant Dew of the Spring
and Autumn Annals
1.2 Jia Yi, "Protecting and Tutoring," History of the Han
1.3 Yang Xiong, "Putting Learning into Action," Model Sayings
2. Law and Punishment
2.1 "A Case of Evidence Obtained through Torture," the Legal Precedents
2.2 Jia Yi, from "The Platform Steps," History of the Han
2.3 "Punishment and Virtue," Discourses on Salt and Iron
2.4 Cui Shi, "Memorial on Virtue and Punishment," History of the Latter Han
3. Governing by Nonaction
3.1 Lu Jia, "Nonaction," New Discussions
3.2 Chao Cuo, "Responses to an Imperial Edict," History of the Han
3.3 "Responses to the Way," Masters of Huainan
Knowledge
4. The Way
4.1 Lu Jia, "The Basis of the Way," New Discussions
4.2 "Finding the Source of the Way," Masters of Huainan
4.3 Yang Xiong, "Asking about the Way," Model Sayings
5. Kongzi
5.1 Master Gongyang, "Year 1 of the Reign of Duke Yin of Lu," Gongyang Commentary
to the Spring and Autumn Annals
5.2 Sima Qian, "The Hereditary House of Kongzi," Records of the Historian
5.3 Wang Chong, "Asking Questions about Kongzi," Balanced Discussions
6. Laozi
6.1 Sima Qian, "Laozi's Biography," Records of the Historian
6.2 Bian Shao, "The Laozi Inscription"
6.3 Xiang Kai, "Memorial to Emperor Huan," History of the Latter Han
The Natural World
7. Demons and Spirits
7.1 "Far-Reaching Discussions," Masters of Huainan
7.2 Liu Xiang, from "Discriminating Things," Garden of Persuasions
7.3 Wang Chong, "Revising Demons," Balanced Discussions
8. Death and Transcendence
8.1 Ban Gu, "Traditions Surrounding Yang Wangsun," History of the Han
8.2 Wang Chong, "Falsehoods about the Way," Balanced Discussions
8.3 "Fei Zhi" Stele Inscription
9. Protective Talismans
9.1 "Cao Family" Talisman
9.2 "Sanli Village" Talisman
9.3 "Shaojia Drainage" Talisman
10. Medicine and Divination
10.1 "Dipper Cloud," in the Miscellaneous Readings of Cosmic Patterns and Pneuma Images
10.2 Dong Zhongshu, "The Meaning of the Five Phases," Luxuriant Dew of the Spring
and Autumn Annals
10.3 Sima Qian, "Traditions Surrounding the Diviners of Auspicious Days,"
Records of the Historian
10.4 "A Discussion of How Pneumas of the Five Organs Model on the Seasons,"
Basic Questions of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic
Glossary of Key Concepts; Translation Sources; Further Readings; Index
About the Author:
Mark Csikszentmihalyi is Associate Professor of Chinese and Religious Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison.