The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Early Chinese Ethics and Political Philosophy (Bloomsbury Research Handbooks in Asian Philosophy)

"Focusing on early Chinese ethical and political thought across multiple schools and thinkers, this book presents a comprehensive overview of the research being done in Chinese comparative ethics and political philosophy. In addition to chapters on Chinese comparative and interpretative thought, The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Early Chinese Ethics and Political Philosophy brings early Chinese ethics and political philosophy into conversation with Western and Indian Philosophy, as well as Western Theology. Contributors discuss numerous texts and schools in Pre-Qin and Han Philosophy, including Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, the Xunzi, the Liyun, and the Zhuangzi. The volume also shows how early Chinese ethical and political theories can be used to contextualise contemporary philosophical issues, such as metaethics, human rights, emotions, and the connection between ethics and metaphysics. The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Early Chinese Ethics and Political Philosophy is an ideal resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students encountering early Chinese ethics and political philosophy for the first time."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page CONTENTS Introduction SOCIAL HARMONY THINKERS: EARLY CONFUCIANISM (LUNYU, LIJI, CHUNQIU COMMENTARIES) AND MOHISM PHILOSOPHIES OF THRIVING NATURE: YANGISM, DAOISM (DAODEJING AND ZHUANGZI, NEIYE), MENGZI RITUAL, STANDARDS, AND LAW: XUNZI, THE LEGALISTS (HAN FEIZI, SHANG YANG, SHEN DAO) PHILOSOPHY OR SOMETHING ELSE? THE METHODOLOGIES OF THIS VOLUME OVERVIEW OF THIS VOLUME NOTES PART ONE Historical Approaches CHAPTER ONE Confucian Role Ethics: Issues of Naming, Translation, and Interpretation NAMING TRANSLATING INTERPRETING CONCLUSION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER TWO From Patterning to Governing: A Constructivist Interpretation of the Xunzi1 THE REALIST INTERPRETATION THE CONSTRUCTIVIST VIEW NATURAL DISPOSITIONS (XING 性) AND ACQUIRED CHARACTER (WEI 偽) POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS CONCLUSION APPENDIX: EVIDENCE FOR REALISM IN THE XUNZI? A FINAL NOTE NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER THREE Some Considerations in Defense of a Radical Reading of the Mohist JIAN AI AS “UNIVERSAL CARE”—THE RADICAL VIEW JIAN AI AS “IMPARTIAL CARE”—THE MODEST VIEW ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE—MIXED INTERPRETATIONS FILIALITY AND JIAN AI —A TEST CASE CONCLUSION: RADICAL JIAN AI AS AN ETHICAL POSITION—A METHODOLOGICAL SUGGESTION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER FOUR Ritual and the Vulnerability of a Prosperous World: A Reading of the “Liyun” 禮運 COMPARING GRAND UNITY WITH MODEST PROSPERITY THE ORIGINS OF RITUAL SYNTHESIZING THE NARRATIVE(S) OF RITUAL IN THE “LIYUN” THE PROSPEROUS SELF THE AMBIVALENCE OF LIVING IN A VULNERABLE WORLD THE “LIYUN” AND THE UNAMBIGUOUS WORLD CONCLUSION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER FIVE Morality Without Moral Reasoning: The Case of Heshanggong I. HESHANGGONG ON MORALITY II. IDEALS AND MANIFESTATIONS III. SIGNIFICANCE OF HESHANGGONG’S VISION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER SIX Nothingness and Selfhood in the Zhuangzi I. II. III. IV. V. NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER SEVEN Han Fei’s Rule of Law and its Limits THE LAW AND ITS FEATURES THE DAO OF GOVERNMENT THE PROBLEM OF THE SINGLE RULER NOTES WORKS CITED PART TWO Comparative Approaches CHAPTER EIGHT Non-Impositional Rule in Confucius and Aristotle WU-WEI RULE IN CONFUCIUS’ POLITICAL THOUGHT NON-IMPERATIVE RULE IN ARISTOTELIAN NATURAL PHILOSOPHY IMPERATIVE RULE IN POLITICS?: TOWARD A CONFUCIAN/ARISTOTELIAN RAPPROCHEMENT NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER NINE Other People Die and That is the Problem SINGULAR DEATH DEATH AND SOLIDARITY CONSOLATIONS NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER TEN The Problem of Anxiety in the Zhuangzi as Contrasted with Indian and Hellenistic Views ANXIETY AND CONCEPTS OF ‘PEACE-OF-MIND’ IN INDIAN AND HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY READINGS OF ZHUANGZI ON ANXIETY THE REAL PROBLEM OF ANXIETY IN THE ZHUANZI CONCLUSION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER ELEVEN “Son of Heaven”: Developing the Theological Aspects of Mengzi’s Philosophy of the Ruler INTRODUCTION THE NEED FOR A THEOLOGICAL VALENCE IN INTERPRETING MENGZI’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY FILIALITY AND POSSESSIONS IN THE CONFUCIAN TRADITION SHUN AS “SON OF HEAVEN”: POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF MENGZI’S DEFENSE OF SHUN YAO’S PRESENTATION OF SHUN SHUNS’S ASCENSION: A STRUGGLE OF FILIAL MODELS CONFIRMING THE HERMENEUTIC CONCLUSION NOTES WORKS CITED CHAPTER TWELVE Justifying Human Rights in Confucianism NOTES WORKS CITED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS ON EARLY CHINESE ETHICS AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS INDEX For much of the history of Chinese thought, ethics and political philosophy were considered to be a single concern. Focusing on early Chinese ethical and political thought across multiple schools and thinkers, this handbook presents a comprehensive cross-section of the research being done in the major areas of Chinese and comparative ethics and political philosophy. Alongside chapters on Chinese historical and interpretative issues, it includes comparative approaches, bringing early Chinese ethics and political philosophy into conversation with Western Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, and even Western Theology. Contributors discuss numerous texts and schools in Pre-Qin and Han Philosophy, showing how early Chinese ethical and political theories can be used to help with contemporary philosophical problems, such as questions surrounding metaethics, human rights, the status of emotions, and the connection between ethics and metaphysics. With overviews of Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, and Legalism and new interpretations of the Xunzi, the Liyun, the Zhuangzi, The Bloomsbury Research Handbook Of Early Chinese and Ethical Philosophy serves as a bridge for entering into early Chinese ways of thought. A valuable resource for contemporary scholars, including those working outside the areas of Chinese or comparative thought