Chinese Philosophy - Simple Guides -epub

THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU

ΓÇó to appreciate the variety, subtlety and wisdom of a unique philosophical tradition
ΓÇó to understand the major schools of thought that have shaped Chinese civilization
ΓÇó to draw on a rich cultural resource for different perspectives on questions of our time
ΓÇó to recognize traditional concepts that continue to inform Chinese thinking today

China, an emerging superpower, is heir to an ancient civilization that owes little to outside influences. This compelling introduction to Chinese philosophy describes the major traditional schools of thought that continue to underpin much of Chinese thinking today. It includes an outline of the countryΓÇÖs early history, and traces the development of Chinese thought, which evolved in a continuum and generally in isolation from the rest of the world, from the earliest concerns with ritual and divination until the arrival of Buddhism in the first century.

The best known strand of Chinese philosophy is Confucianism, which is basically a philosophy of relationships between different levels in a hierarchy, from the ruler down to the individual. In complete contrast, the almost contemporary school of Laozi espoused the wisdom and freedom of the Dao, based on the concept of alignment with nature and reverence for the environment. There followed schools of analytical logic, Legalism, and the arrival of Buddhism, which became associated in China with the mystical writings of Laozi, adding the dimension of compassion. These schools gradually fused in a neo-Confucian synthesis that went unchallenged in China until the encounter with the West.

2009