Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China: The ’Zhou Bi Suan Jing’

This book considers the relation between language and thought. Robert Wardy explores this huge topic by analyzing linguistic relativism with reference to a Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. He addresses some key questions, such as, do the basic structures of language shape the major thought patterns of its native speakers? Could philosophy be guided and constrained by the language in which it is done? And does Aristotle survive rendition into Chinese intact? Wardy's answers will fascinate philosophers, Sinologists, classicists, linguists and anthropologists, and make a major contribution to the scholarly literature. In His Latest Book, Robert Wardy, A Philosopher And Classicist, Turns His Attention To The Relation Between Language And Thought. He Explores This Huge Topic In An Analysis Of Linguistic Relativism, With Specific Reference To A Reading Of The Ming Li T'an (the Investigation Of The Theory Of Names), A Seventeenth-century Chinese Translation Of Aristotle's Categories. Throughout His Investigation, Wardy Addresses Important Questions. Do The Basic Structures Of Language Shape The Major Thought-patterns Of Its Native Speakers? Could Philosophy Be Guided And Constrained By The Language In Which It Is Done? What Factors, From Grammar And Logic To Cultural And Religious Expectations, Influence Translation? And Does Aristotle Survive Rendition Into Chinese Intact? His Answers Will Fascinate Philosophers, Sinologists, Classicists, Linguists And Anthropologists.--book Jacket. The China Syndrome: Language, Logical Form, Translation -- Guidance And Constraint -- On The Very Idea Of Translation -- Whorf's Hypothesis -- Deflationary Philosophical Anthropology -- Von Humboldt's Legacy -- Case-study 1: Conditionals -- Case-study 2: Chinese Is A List -- Logical Form -- Against 'logical' Translation -- Why Form Might Matter -- Procrustean Logic -- Case-study 3: Being -- Case-study 4: Truth -- Case-study 5: Nouns And Ontology -- Aristotelian Whispers -- What's In A Name? -- Disputation, Discrimination, Inference -- The Need For Logic -- Finite And Infinite -- The Simple And The Complex -- All The Things There Are -- How Many Questions? -- Relatively Speaking -- Particular And General -- Translating The Untranslatable. Robert Wardy. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 161-165) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-tilte......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 1 Introduction......Page 15 2 Guidance and constraint......Page 17 3.1 Whorf ’s hypothesis......Page 25 3.2 Deflationary philosophical anthropology......Page 30 3.3 Von Humboldt’s legacy......Page 33 4 Case-study 1: conditionals......Page 39 5 Case-study 2: Chinese is a list......Page 44 6.1 Against ‘logical’ translation......Page 49 6.2 Why form might matter......Page 53 6.3 Procrustean logic......Page 58 7 Case-study 3: being......Page 65 8 Case-study 4: truth......Page 69 9 Case-study 5: nouns and ontology......Page 73 10 Conclusion......Page 76 1 Introduction......Page 83 2 What’s in a name?......Page 101 3 Disputation, discrimination, inference......Page 112 4 The need for logic......Page 121 5 Finite and infinite......Page 126 6 The simple and the complex......Page 130 7 All the things there are......Page 134 8 How many questions?......Page 145 9 Relatively speaking......Page 148 10 Particular and general......Page 151 11 Translating the untranslatable......Page 160 Epilogue......Page 164 Glossary of technical terms......Page 167 References......Page 175 Index......Page 180 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-tilte 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Preface 11 1 The China syndrome: language, logical form, translation 15 1 Introduction 15 2 Guidance and constraint 17 3 On the very idea of translation 25 3.1 Whorf ’s hypothesis 25 3.2 Deflationary philosophical anthropology 30 3.3 Von Humboldt’s legacy 33 4 Case-study 1: conditionals 39 5 Case-study 2: Chinese is a list 44 6 Logical form 49 6.1 Against ‘logical’ translation 49 6.2 Why form might matter 53 6.3 Procrustean logic 58 7 Case-study 3: being 65 8 Case-study 4: truth 69 9 Case-study 5: nouns and ontology 73 10 Conclusion 76 2 Aristotelian whispers 83 1 Introduction 83 2 What’s in a name? 101 3 Disputation, discrimination, inference 112 4 The need for logic 121 5 Finite and infinite 126 6 The simple and the complex 130 7 All the things there are 134 8 How many questions? 145 9 Relatively speaking 148 10 Particular and general 151 11 Translating the untranslatable 160 Epilogue 164 Glossary of technical terms 167 References 175 Index 180 In his latest book, Robert Wardy, a philosopher and classicist, turns his attention to the relation between language and thought. He explores this huge topic in an analysis of linguistic relativism, with specific reference to a reading of the Ming Li T'an ('The Investigation of the Theory of Names'), a seventeenth-century Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. Throughout his investigation, Wardy addresses important questions. Do the basis structures of language shape the major thought-patterns of its native speakers? Could philosophy be guided and constrained by the language in which it is done? What factors, from grammar and logic to cultural and religious expectations, influence translation? And does Aristotle survive rendition into Chinese intact? His answers will fascinate philosphers, Sinologists, classicists, linguists and anthropologists, and promise to make a major contribution to the existing literature. In this book, Robert Wardy, a philosopher and classicist, turns his attention to the relation between language and thought. He explores this huge topic in an analysis of linguistic relativism, with specific reference to a reading of the ming li t'an ('The Investigation of the Theory of Names'), a seventeenth-century Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. Throughout his investigation, Wardy addresses important questions. Do the basis structures of language shape the major thought-patterns of its native speakers? Could philosophy be guided and constrained by the language in which it is done? What factors, from grammar and logic to cultural and religious expectations, influence translation? And does Aristotle survive rendition into Chinese intact? His answers will fascinate philosphers, Sinologists, classicists, linguists and anthropologists, and will make a major contribution to the existing literature. In an exploration of the relation between language and thought, the author analyses linguistic relativism with reference to a Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. In so doing he addresses some key questions relating to philosophy, language and translation. His findings will fascinate scholars in the field and related disciplines. Don't let the title fool you. This is not just about China, this is about the human condition. Someone with an imagination should have worked on the title and given it a bit more excitement. I almost skipped reading the book because the title seemed so dry.