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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Oriental religions > Confucianism
Legislation to change Korean society along Confucian lines began
at the founding of the Chosŏn dynasty in 1392 and had apparently
achieved its purpose by the mid seventeenth century. Until this
important new study, however, the nature of Koryŏ society, the
stresses induced by the new legislation, and society's resistance
to the Neo-Confucian changes imposed by the Chosŏn elite have
remained largely unexplored.
To explain which aspects of life in Koryŏ came under attack and
why, Martina Deuchler draws on social anthropology to examine
ancestor worship, mourning, inheritance, marriage, the position of
women, and the formation of descent groups. To examine how
Neo-Confucian ideology could become an effective instrument for
altering basic aspects of Koryŏ life, she traces shifts in
political and social power as well as the cumulative effect of
changes over time. What emerges is a subtle analysis of Chosŏn
Korean social and ideological history.
A masterpiece in the study of Wang Yangming's (1472-1529)
philosophy, this book adopts a holistic approach, integrating
philosophical history, comparative philosophy, cultural research
and historical documents. The book provides a comprehensive and
in-depth analysis of Wang's philosophy at different stages
throughout its maturation so as to sketch the essential character
and grand picture of Wang's philosophy. As a systematic study of
Wang's philosophy, this monograph boasts a broad perspective,
profound discourse and substantial historical data. It is a perfect
manifestation of the author's academic accomplishment and presents
the readers with a panorama of Wang's studies. Although the book is
focused primarily on Wang, its scope and methodology carry great
implications for the study of Song and Ming Confucianism and even
ancient Chinese philosophy as a whole.
Confucianism and the Succession Crisis of the Wanli Emperor, 1587
is set in the Hanlin Academy in Ming dynasty China. Most students
are members of the Grand Secretariat of the Hanlin Academy, the
body of top-ranking graduates of the civil service examination who
serve as advisers to the Wanli emperor. Some Grand Secretaries are
Confucian "purists," who hold that tradition obliges the emperor to
name his first-born son as successor; others, in support of the
most senior of the Grand Secretaries, maintain that it is within
the emperor's right to choose his successor; and still others, as
they decide this matter among many issues confronting the empire,
continue to scrutinize the teachings of Confucianism for guidance.
The game unfolds amid the secrecy and intrigue within the walls of
the Forbidden City as scholars struggle to apply Confucian precepts
to a dynasty in peril.
In his Master Plan Cai Chen (1167-1230) created an original
divination manual based on the Yijing and keyed it to an intricate
series of 81 matrixes with the properties of "magic squares."
Previously unrecognized, Cai's work is a milestone in the history
of mathematics, and, in introducing it, this book dramatically
expands our understanding of the Chinese number theory practiced by
the "Image and Number" school within Confucian philosophy. Thinkers
of that leaning devised graphic arrays of the binary figures called
"trigrams" and "hexagrams" in the Yijing as a way of exploring the
relationship between the random draws of divination and the
classic's readings. Cai adapted this perspective to his 81 matrix
series, which he saw as tracing the recurring temporal cycles of
the natural world. The architecture of the matrix series is echoed
in the language of his divination texts, which he called "number
names"-hence, the book's title. This book will appeal to those
interested in philosophy, the history of science and mathematics,
and Chinese intellectual history. The divination text has
significant literary as well as philosophical dimensions, and its
audience lies both among specialists in these fields and with a
general readership interested in recreational mathematics and
topics like divination, Taiji, and Fengshui.
Engaging in existential discourse beyond the European tradition,
this book turns to Asian philosophies to reassess vital questions
of life's purpose, death's imminence, and our capacity for living
meaningfully in conditions of uncertainty. Inspired by the dilemmas
of European existentialism, this cross-cultural study seeks
concrete techniques for existential practice via the philosophies
of East Asia. The investigation begins with the provocative
writings of twentieth-century Korean Buddhist nun Kim Iryop, who
asserts that meditative concentration conducts a potent energy
outward throughout the entire karmic network, enabling the radical
transformation of our shared existential conditions. Understanding
her claim requires a look at East Asian sources more broadly.
Considering practices as diverse as Buddhist merit-making
ceremonies, Confucian/Ruist methods for self-cultivation, the
ritual memorization and recitation of texts, and Yijing divination,
the book concludes by advocating a speculative turn. This
'speculative existentialism' counters the suspicion toward
metaphysics characteristic of twentieth-century European
existential thought and, at the same time, advances a program for
action. It is not a how-to guide for living, but rather a
philosophical methodology that takes seriously the power of mental
cultivation to transform the meaning of the life that we share.
An Anthropological Inquiry into Confucianism provides a
chronological, historicized reappraisal of Confucianism as a belief
system and a way of life that revolves around three key concepts:
ritual (Li), emotion (qing), and rational principle (li). Instead
of examining all pertinent concepts of Confucianism, the book
focuses on how Confucian thinkers grappled with these three words
and tried to balance them throughout multiple dynasties and by
polemics an practice performing rites in daily life. Informed by
the theory and perspectives of anthropology, Guo Wu revisits the
origin of Confucianism and treats it as part of the legacy of
pre-textual worshipping and funerary rites which are incorporated,
recorded, and interpreted by Confucians. An anthropological angle
continues to flesh out the extant Confucian classics by
reinterpreting the parts concerning the human-human, human-animal,
and human-sacred objects relations. Modern anthropological studies
are referenced to showed how Confucian ritualism permeated to the
lifeworld of Chinese villages since the Song dynasty and revived in
Ming-Qing dynasties along with a resurgent interest in the
expression of human emotions, which had an inherent tension with
(Heavenly) rational principle. The book concludes that the
Confucian balancing of the triad continues into the 21st century
along with its revival in China.
The main theme of this book is how newly excavated texts have
provided new energy and perspectives to allow us to renew our
understanding of ancient Chinese thought, especially that of
Confucianism. Through an analysis of texts from the Guodian,
Shanghai Museum, and other collections of excavated manuscripts,
this book undertakes a wide-ranging analysis of Confucian thought
in itself and also its influence on other trends of thought in
ancient China. It focuses on such topics as morality, virtue, and
self-cultivation, political philosophy, circumstance, and the
relationship between human beings, others, and the natural world.
It rethinks core Confucian concepts such as ren or "benevolence"
and shendu or "maintaining one's moral nature" as well as great
Confucian notions on circumstance and political philosophy. This
book also illustrates the influence that Confucian philosophy had
during the Warring States period showing that elements of its moral
philosophy informed the consciousness and behavior of state
officials in such places as the state of Qin. Excavated texts are
an inescapable part of Chinese philosophy, as such this book is
invaluable to anyone wishing to understand ancient Chinese
philosophy, Confucianism, and anyone interested in the interplay
between material and intellectual culture.
Vital Post-Secular Perspectives on Chinese Philosophical Issues
presents a number of contemporary philosophical issues from a wide
range of Chinese philosophical texts, figures, and sub-traditions
that are usually not addressed in English studies of Chinese
philosophical traditions. Lauren F. Pfister presents new
perspectives in three parts: the first part offers critical
perspectives on the life and works of one of the most significant
20th century Chinese philosophers and historian of Chinese
philosophical traditions, Feng Youlan (1895-1990); the second part
explores questions related to Ruist ("Confucian") theism and the
complicated textual developments within two canonical Ruist texts,
ending with a critique of a 21st century translation and
interpretation of one of those two classical texts; the third part
presents philosophical assessments of 20th and 21st century
cultural issues that have had immense social and interpretive
impacts in contemporary Chinese contexts - Chinese utopian
projects, Chinese netizens in "Human Flesh Searches," and questions
about the links between sageliness and saintliness in Ruist and
Christian communities.
The author proposes an epistemological strategy to resolve
controversial issues in the indigenous psychology (IP) movement.
These include the nature of IPs, scientific standards, cultural
concepts, philosophy of science, mainstream psychology,
generalization of findings, and the isolation and independence of
IPs. The approach includes a two-step strategy for construction of
culture-inclusive theories, based on a Mandala model of self and a
Face and Favor model for social interaction, and the use of these
models to develop culture-inclusive theories for Confucian
morphostasis. The author has successfully used this strategy, and
encourages others to use it to construct their own
culture-inclusive theories.
This volume of new essays is the first English-language anthology
devoted to Chinese metaphysics. The essays explore the key themes
of Chinese philosophy, from pre-Qin to modern times, starting with
important concepts such as yin-yang and qi and taking the reader
through the major periods in Chinese thought - from the Classical
period, through Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, into the
twentieth-century philosophy of Xiong Shili. They explore the major
traditions within Chinese philosophy, including Daoism and Mohism,
and a broad range of metaphysical topics, including monism,
theories of individuation, and the relationship between reality and
falsehood. The volume will be a valuable resource for upper-level
students and scholars of metaphysics, Chinese philosophy, or
comparative philosophy, and with its rich insights into the
ethical, social and political dimensions of Chinese society, it
will also interest students of Asian studies and Chinese
intellectual history.
With extensive research and creative interpretations, Dasan's Noneo
gogeum ju (Old and New Commentaries of the Analects) has been
evaluated in the academia of Korean Studies as a crystallization of
his studies on the Confucian classics. Dasan (Jeong Yak-yong:
1762-1836) attempted through this book to synthesize and overcome
the lengthy scholarly tradition of the classical studies of the
Analects, leading it not only to represent one of the greatest
achievements of Korean Confucianism but also demonstrate an
innovative prospect for the progress of Confucian philosophy,
positioning it as one of the ground-breaking works in all Confucian
legacies in East Asia. Originally consisting of forty volumes in
traditional book binding, his Noneo gogeum ju contains one hundred
and seventy-five new interpretations on the Analects, hundreds of
arguments about the original meanings of the Analects commentaries,
hundreds of references to the scholarly works of the Analects,
thousands of supportive quotations from various East Asian classics
for the author's arguments, and hundreds of philological
discussions. This book is the second volume of an English
translation of Noneo gogeum ju with the translator's comments on
the innovative ideas and interpretations of Dasan on the Analects.
This study examines how political and legal disputes regarding the
performance of death rituals contributed to an 11th-century revival
of Confucianism in Northern Song China. Under Emperor Renzong (r.
1022-1063), court officials came to a consensus that the Confucian
tradition was the sole legitimate source for imperial rituals, and
thus put an end to the controversial civil program of honoring the
royal ancestors with the Daoist liturgy. New legislation on the
legal obligation of civil officers to observe the three-year period
of mourning gave rise to frequent allegations of ritual violation,
which in turn necessitated further studies of the classical ritual
texts, the passing of additional laws, and the writing of new
ritual manuals. Amid fierce factional divisions, a group of
scholar-officials led by Sima Guang envisioned a statecraft that
would lend more power to the bureaucracy, and provoked a series of
political disputes with their criticism of the emperor's ritual
violations. This group advocated the moral reformation of society.
They believed in the canonical rituals' capacity to bring
hierarchical social order, and waged campaigns against Buddhist and
Daoist rituals, challenging their alleged capacity to ensure the
well-being of the deceased in the world -beyond. Despite their
efforts, funerary and burial practices would continue to be sites
of contestation between ritual agents and their differing notions
about life after death as well as for ritual preferences linked to
their social status, political visions, and religious belief.
Tying together cultural history, legal history, and institutional
economics, The Laws and Economics of Confucianism: Kinship and
Property in Preindustrial China and England offers a novel argument
as to why Chinese and English preindustrial economic development
went down different paths. The dominance of Neo-Confucian social
hierarchies in Late Imperial and Republican China, under which
advanced age and generational seniority were the primary
determinants of sociopolitical status, allowed many poor but senior
individuals to possess status and political authority highly
disproportionate to their wealth. In comparison, landed wealth was
a fairly strict prerequisite for high status and authority in the
far more 'individualist' society of early modern England,
essentially excluding low-income individuals from secular positions
of prestige and leadership. Zhang argues that this social
difference had major consequences for property institutions and
agricultural production.
This book examines the ways in which Confucian political culture
operates in contemporary Chinese politics and influences its
development. The author argues that the authoritarian political
culture performs functions similar to the democratic political
culture, drawing on a wide range of data-surveys, interviews,
archives, Public Hearing Meeting records, and the Party Congress
Reports of the Chinese Communist Party-to substantiate and
illustrate these arguments. In an authoritarian political system,
the "legitimating values" of the authoritarian political culture
persuade the public of their government's legitimacy and the
"engaging values" equip individuals with a set of cultural
dispositions, resources, and skills to acquire political resources
and services from the state. In the context of Chinese politics,
personal connections infused with affection and trust-the Social
Capital in the Confucian culture-facilitate political engagement.
Despite the country's continuous advocacy for the "rule of law,"
state and public perceptions of legal professionals and legal
practices, such as mediation and lawyer-judge relations, are
fundamentally moralized. A new "people ideology," which originated
in the Confucian political culture, has been re-appropriated to
legitimate the Party's hegemonic governing position and policies.
![Four Testaments - Tao Te Ching, Analects, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita: Sacred Scriptures of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and...](//media.loot.co.za/images/x80/378108216145179215.jpg) |
Four Testaments
- Tao Te Ching, Analects, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita: Sacred Scriptures of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism
(Paperback)
Brian Arthur Brown; Foreword by Francis X Clooney S J; Contributions by David Bruce, K E Eduljee, Richard Freund, …
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R1,570
Discovery Miles 15 700
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Four Testaments brings together four foundational texts from world
religions-the Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, Analects of Confucius, and
Bhagavad Gita-inviting readers to experience them in full, to
explore possible points of connection and divergence, and to better
understand people who practice these traditions. Following Brian
Arthur Brown's award-winning Three Testaments: Torah, Gospel,
Quran, this volume of Four Testaments features essays by esteemed
scholars to introduce readers to each tradition and text, as well
as commentary on unexpected ways the ancient Zoroastrian tradition
might connect Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism, along
with the Abrahamic faiths. Four Testaments aims to foster deeper
religious understanding in our interconnected and contentious
world.
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