$30.00 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- Under the Song Dynasty, China experienced rapid commercial growth and monetization of the economy.
- About the Author: Stephen Owen is James Bryant Conant University Professor Emeritus in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University.
- 256 Pages
- History, Asia
Description
About the Book
"Under the Song Dynasty, China experienced rapid commercial growth and monetization of the economy. In the same period, the austere ethical turn that led to neo-Confucianism was becoming increasingly prevalent in the imperial bureaucracy and literati culture. Tracing the influences of these trends in Chinese intellectual history, All Mine! explores the varied ways in which eleventh-century writers worked through the conflicting values of this new world. Stephen Owen contends that in the new money economy of the Song, writers became preoccupied with the question of whether material things can bring happiness. Key thinkers returned to this problem, weighing the conflicting influences of worldly possessions and material comfort against Confucian ideology, which locates true contentment in the Way and disdains attachment to things. In a series of essays, Owen examines the works of writers such as the prose master Ouyang Xiu, who asked whether tranquility could be found in the backwater to which he had been exiled; the poet and essayist Su Dongpo, who was put on trial for slandering the emperor; and the historian Sima Guang, whose private garden elicited reflections on private ownership. Through strikingly original readings of major eleventh-century figures, All Mine! inquires not only into the material conditions of happiness but also the broader conditions of knowledge"--Book Synopsis
Under the Song Dynasty, China experienced rapid commercial growth and monetization of the economy. In the same period, the austere ethical turn that led to neo-Confucianism was becoming increasingly prevalent in the imperial bureaucracy and literati culture. Tracing the influences of these trends in Chinese intellectual history, All Mine! explores the varied ways in which eleventh-century writers worked through the conflicting values of this new world.
Stephen Owen contends that in the new money economy of the Song, writers became preoccupied with the question of whether material things can bring happiness. Key thinkers returned to this problem, weighing the conflicting influences of worldly possessions and material comfort against Confucian ideology, which locates true contentment in the Way and disdains attachment to things. In a series of essays, Owen examines the works of writers such as the prose master Ouyang Xiu, who asked whether tranquility could be found in the backwater to which he had been exiled; the poet and essayist Su Dongpo, who was put on trial for slandering the emperor; and the historian Sima Guang, whose private garden elicited reflections on private ownership. Through strikingly original readings of major eleventh-century figures, All Mine! inquires not only into the material conditions of happiness but also the broader conditions of knowledge.Review Quotes
Stephen Owen's interpretations of Chinese literature are not only enlightening but also a pleasure to read. He always finds levels of meaning I would not have reached on my own.--Patricia Ebrey, author of Emperor Huizong
About the Author
Stephen Owen is James Bryant Conant University Professor Emeritus in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. His many books include, most recently, Just a Song: Chinese Lyrics from the Eleventh and Early Twelfth Centuries (2019).Dimensions (Overall): 8.9 Inches (H) x 5.98 Inches (W) x .71 Inches (D)
Weight: .9 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 256
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: Asia
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Theme: China
Format: Paperback
Author: Stephen Owen
Language: English
Street Date: December 14, 2021
TCIN: 1003140317
UPC: 9780231203111
Item Number (DPCI): 247-20-2563
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 0.71 inches length x 5.98 inches width x 8.9 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.9 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
Trending Non-Fiction
$12.54
was $15.38 New lower price
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books
4.6 out of 5 stars with 9 ratings
$24.50
MSRP $35.00
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books
5 out of 5 stars with 2 ratings
$20.18
was $24.50 New lower price
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books
5 out of 5 stars with 1 ratings