From Being to Living : a Euro-Chinese lexicon of thought (Published in association with Theory, Culture & Society)

This new English translation of François Jullien's work is a compelling summation of his thinking on the comparison between Western and Chinese thought. The title, From Being to Living, summarises his essential point: that western thinking is obsessed by – and determined as well as limited by – the notion of Being, whereas traditional Chinese thought was always situated in Living. Organized as a lexicon around some 20 concepts that juxtapose Chinese and Western thought, Jullien explores the ways the two have historically evolved, and how many aspects of Chinese thought developed in complete isolation from the West, revealing a different way of relating to the world. Translated by Michael Richardson and Krzysztof Fijalkowski, this text explores Chinese thinking and language in order to excavate elements from them that reveal the fault lines of western thinking. This is an important book for students, scholars and practitioners alike across the Social Sciences. FROM BEING TO LIVING - FRONT COVER FROM BEING TO LIVING COPYRIGHT CONTENTS TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1 - PROPENSITY (VS CAUSALITY) CHAPTER 2 - POTENTIAL OF SITUATION (VS INITIATIVE OF THE SUBJECT) CHAPTER 3 - RECEPTIVITY (VS FREEDOM) CHAPTER 4 - RELIABILITY (VS SINCERITY) CHAPTER 5 - TENACITY (VS WILL) CHAPTER 6 - OBLIQUITY (VS FRONTALITY) CHAPTER 7 - INDIRECTNESS (VS METHOD) CHAPTER 8 - INFLUENCE (VS PERSUASION) CHAPTER 9 - COHERENCE (VS MEANING) CHAPTER 10 - CONNIVENCE (VS KNOWLEDGE) CHAPTER 11 - MATURATION (VS MODELISATION) CHAPTER 12 - REGULATION (VS REVELATION) CHAPTER 13 - SILENT TRANSFORMATION (VS RESONANT EVENT) CHAPTER 14 - EVASIVE (VS ASSIGNABLE) CHAPTER 15 - ALLUSIVE (VS ALLEGORICAL) CHAPTER 16 - AMBIGUOUS (VS EQUIVOCAL) CHAPTER 17 - BETWEEN (VS BEYOND) CHAPTER 18 - SURGE (VS SETTLED) CHAPTER 19 - NON-POSTPONEMENT (VS DELAYING KNOWLEDGE) CHAPTER 20 - RESOURCE (VS TRUTH) SUBJECT/SITUATION: ON A BRANCHING-OFF OF THOUGHT NOTE OF THE SEMINAR 2013–2014 AFTERWORD - FROM DIVERGENCE TO THE COMMON BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX Summary:This new English translation of François Jullien's work is a compelling summation of his thinking on the comparison and divergences between Western and Chinese thought. Jullien argues that Western thinking is preoccupied with the question of 'being', whereas Chinese thought concerned itself principally with that of 'living'. Organised as a lexicon around some 20 concepts that juxtapose Chinese and Western thought, including propensity (vs causality), receptivity (vs freedom), maturation (vs modelisation),between (vs beyond) and resource (vs truth). Jullien explores the ways the two traditions have evolved, and how many aspects of Chinese thought developed in isolation from the West, revealing a different way of relating to the world and the fault lines of western thinking This new English translation of Francois Jullien's work is a compelling summation of his thinking on the comparison between Western and Chinese thought. The title, From Being to Living, summarises his essential point: that western thinking is obsessed by - and determined as well as limited by - the notion of Being, whereas traditional Chinese thought was always situated in Living.