Mencius and Early Chinese Thought - Paperback

by Kwong-Loi Shun (Author)

Throughout much of Chinese history, Mencius (372-289 B.C.) was considered the greatest Confucian thinker after Confucius himself. This study begins a reassessment of Mencius by examining his ethical thinking (how one should live) in relation to that of other early Chinese thinkers.

Front Jacket

Throughout much of Chinese history, Mencius (372-289 b.c.) was considered the greatest Confucian thinker after Confucius himself. Following the enshrinement of the Mencius (an edited compilation of his thought by disciples or disciples of disciples) as one of the Four Books by Sung neo-Confucianists, he was studied by all educated Chinese.
This study begins a reassessment of Mencius by studying his ethical thinking (how one should live) in relation to that of other early Chinese thinkers, including Confucius, Mo Tzu, the Yangists, and Hsun Tzu. It is the first of three planned studies on Mencius: the second volume will examine the reception and development of Mencian ideas by later thinkers, and the third will be a general philosophical discussion of Confucian ethics.

Back Jacket

With this ambitious undertaking, Shun is trying to become the definitive modern interpreter of Mencius, and in this volume he succeeds. . . . The book works at many levels and satisfies at each. For the sinologist it is thorough and precise, and for the ethicist and comparative philosopher it has much to offer as well. --Choice
"This book is an excellent resource for those interested in Mencian philosophy. . . . The author has given us a textual study that is philosophically illuminating and thought-provoking."--China Review International