An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy - Annotated by Jeeloo Liu (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy unlocks the mystery of ancient Chinese philosophy and unravels the complexity of Chinese Buddhism by placing them in the contemporary context of discourse.

• Elucidates the central issues and debates in Chinese philosophy, its different schools of thought, and its major philosophers.
• Covers eight major philosophers in the ancient period, among them Confucius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.
• Illuminates the links between different schools of philosophy.
• Opens the door to further study of the relationship between Chinese and Western philosophy.

From the Back Cover

An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy is the most comprehensive book of its kind. Highly accessible, the text takes an analytical approach to successfully demystify the themes of ancient Chinese philosophy and unravel the complexities of early Chinese Buddhism.

Beginning with the philosophy of Yijing, Part I covers seven additional major philosophers from the ancient period: Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Hanfeizi. Part II introduces the reader to the four major schools in Chinese Buddhism: the Consciousness-Only, the Hua-yan, the Tian-tai, and the Chan. Mutual themes connect chapters, highlighting the continuity of thought, while an unbiased analysis helps to define their differences. Contemporary commentaries and debates on the central issues in Chinese philosophy round out the book, presenting an incisive introduction to the field.

Review Quotes

"This kind of work is long overdue... This book will undoubtedly make classical Chinese thought more relevant to contemporary philosophical discourse and more accessible to analytically-minded readers." Shirong Luo, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Combining firm control of original sources and contemporary scholarship with sophisticated philosophical analysis, this book is clearly the best introduction to Chinese philosophy. It will be interesting to specialists, and enlightening to lay readers." Ying-shih Yu, Princeton University

"JeeLoo Liu has written a wonderful introduction to Chinese philosophy. Her book is introductory without being superficial, full of sure-handed scholarship, and at once analytical and sensitive to the cultural setting in which these great philosophies developed." John Perry, Stanford University

About the Author

JeeLoo Liu is Associate Professor of Philosophy at California State University at Fullerton. In addition to Chinese philosophy, she specializes in the philosophy of mind and metaphysics. She has published articles in the Journal of Philosophical Research and the Journal of Chinese Philosophy.