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Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy
This book is an introduction in the very best sense of the word. It provides the beginner with an accurate, sophisticated, yet accessible account, and offers new insights and challenging perspectives to those who have more specialized knowledge. Focusing on the period in Chinese philosophy that is surely most easily approachable and perhaps is most important, it ranges over of rich set of competing options. It also, with admirable self-consciousness, presents a number of daring attempts to relate those options to philosophical figures and movements from the West. I recommend it very highly.--Lee H. Yearley, Walter Y. Evans-Wentz Professor, Religious Studies, Stanford University
289 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 13, 2022
This was a great read. It fairly exceeded my expectations. I really appreciated the fact that the author took its time to put the thinkers discussed in their historical context and to explain philosophical concepts unknown for the laypeople by comparing them with Western equivalents or applying them to more contemporary situations.
Especially interesting for me were the oppositions between virtue ethics and consequentialism, between the platonic and baconean ways of conceiving learning or between faith and suspicious heuristics, the reason why Japan developed so smoothly in comparison to China or the defence of being open-minded when approaching different cultures.
If I don't give it 5 stars it's because I found the constant referencing to contemporary politics tiresome. Mr. Van Norden, I want to learn about wise men who died more than two millennia ago, their thought was much more interesting than your political inclinations!
Especially interesting for me were the oppositions between virtue ethics and consequentialism, between the platonic and baconean ways of conceiving learning or between faith and suspicious heuristics, the reason why Japan developed so smoothly in comparison to China or the defence of being open-minded when approaching different cultures.
If I don't give it 5 stars it's because I found the constant referencing to contemporary politics tiresome. Mr. Van Norden, I want to learn about wise men who died more than two millennia ago, their thought was much more interesting than your political inclinations!
September 20, 2020
4.5/5 stars: A solid and accessible introduction to some of the key authors in classical Chinese philosophy, which takes its source materials seriously as philosophical texts. Each chapter presents the core ideas of an author (except for Kongzi, who is the subject of two dedicated chapters) and then finishes by highlighting the historical significance of that author. The final chapter is then dedicated to showing how the selected authors have influenced philosophers in the following centuries, in a brief introduction that ranges from the early days of unified China to contemporary philosophers. There are also three appendices that can be useful for a reader looking for further information: a discussion of hermeneutical approaches, an introduction to Chinese writing, and a presentation of alternative readings of Kongzi as a systematic philosopher.
November 21, 2022
good broad-strokes historical overview for a total beginner like me. at times felt a bit silly in turning passages into tangents of PHIL101 ideas about how to encounter and read philosophy in general but maybe those are useful for some students too. has review questions at the end of each chapter which is also cute.
December 30, 2019
A solid introduction to Chinese philosophy. The writing style is accessible and easily understandable.
March 23, 2025
Clearly written for undergraduates, Van Norden’s “Intro to Classical Chinese Philosophy” is a solid if high level overview of the major traditions of Chinese thought. Since Chinese philosophy is little known to most Westerners — and misconceptions about it abound — this is a very useful primer to orient yourself to an incredibly rich and valuable tradition.
Unfortunately, American culture often reduces figures like Confucius to fortune cookie sayings or turns Daoism into mystical self-discovery. If people know anything at all about thinkers like Mencius or Xunzi, they tend to believe that one says “people and good” and the other says “people are bad.” All of these perceptions simplify to the point of nonsense thinkers who are incredibly complex and valuable, who together form the basis of an intellectual heritage that rivals our own in its complexity, depth, and wisdom.
Such ignorance of Chinese thought (and their lovely poetry) is a lamentable mistake, because traditional Chinese philosophy is still highly relevant to understanding our rising geopolitical rival and it is inherently valuable for one’s own orientation to the world. Reading Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi has shaped my own worldview, and, based the overviews here, I find myself increasingly drawn to Xunzi as well (whom I plan to read very soon). I’ve written before that each of these thinkers — except maybe Zhuangzi, who is elusive and utterly unique — has many parallels to Western philosophers like Aristotle or Hobbes, but they are nevertheless usefully divergent in their approach. We do ourselves a major disservice by ignoring them simply because they are ancient or outside of our own cultural tradition. The greatest minds of the ancient world have a way of remaining relevant, wherever they happened to write from.
I beg anyone interested in human thought and culture to read and engage with these great works — and this overview would be a fine way to begin!
Unfortunately, American culture often reduces figures like Confucius to fortune cookie sayings or turns Daoism into mystical self-discovery. If people know anything at all about thinkers like Mencius or Xunzi, they tend to believe that one says “people and good” and the other says “people are bad.” All of these perceptions simplify to the point of nonsense thinkers who are incredibly complex and valuable, who together form the basis of an intellectual heritage that rivals our own in its complexity, depth, and wisdom.
Such ignorance of Chinese thought (and their lovely poetry) is a lamentable mistake, because traditional Chinese philosophy is still highly relevant to understanding our rising geopolitical rival and it is inherently valuable for one’s own orientation to the world. Reading Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi has shaped my own worldview, and, based the overviews here, I find myself increasingly drawn to Xunzi as well (whom I plan to read very soon). I’ve written before that each of these thinkers — except maybe Zhuangzi, who is elusive and utterly unique — has many parallels to Western philosophers like Aristotle or Hobbes, but they are nevertheless usefully divergent in their approach. We do ourselves a major disservice by ignoring them simply because they are ancient or outside of our own cultural tradition. The greatest minds of the ancient world have a way of remaining relevant, wherever they happened to write from.
I beg anyone interested in human thought and culture to read and engage with these great works — and this overview would be a fine way to begin!
March 17, 2017
This is not exactly a popular book on the subject given that it has only 4 Reviews in Goodreads and 14 in Amazon. For someone like me who is not really that knowledgeable about Chinese philosophy or philosophy in general, and then try to go and read an academic book that is not that well known is a bit risky.
Thankfully, "Introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy" is perfectly whelming as the title suggestions. It won’t make you close the book and gaze into nothingness for hours trying to re-evaluate your life but it also isn’t a Zen trick to make you go into nirvana due to it being too boring. It’s just a quick and decent introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy.
And now, here is the million quotes I highlighted,
Kongzi replied, “In your governing, Sir, what need is there for executions? If you desire goodness, then the common people will be good. The Virtue of a gentleman is like the wind, and the Virtue of a petty person is like the grass—when the wind moves over the grass, the grass is sure to bend”
---
In light of this, we can perhaps understand the frustration that led Kongzi to sigh, “I have yet to meet a man who loves Virtue as much as he loves sex” (9.18).
---
This led his disciple Zilu to bitterly complain, “Does even the gentleman encounter hardship?” Kongzi replied, “Of course the gentleman encounters hardship. The difference is that the petty man, encountering hardship, is overwhelmed by it” (15.2).
---
As the later Confucian Xunzi put it, “The learning of the petty person enters through his ears and passes out his mouth. From mouth to ears is only four inches—how could it be enough to improve a whole body much larger than that?”
---
Kongzi sums up the importance of thoughtful evaluation when he says, “When walking with two other people, I will always find a teacher among them. I focus on those who are good and seek to emulate them, and focus on those who are bad in order to be reminded of what needs to be changed in myself” (7.22).
---
Mengzi situates his philosophical anthropology in a broader worldview: “To fathom one’s heart is to understand one’s nature. If one understands one’s nature, then one understands Heaven” (7A1).
---
The solution the Daodejing offers for the corruption and violence of contemporary life is to return to a primitive, agrarian utopia—the human condition before the corrupting influences of culture, literature, urbanization, laws, and advanced technology: The more taboos and prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer the people. The more sharp implements the people have, the more benighted the state. The more clever and skillful the people, the more strange and perverse things arise. The more clear the laws and edicts, the more thieves and robbers. (57)
---
Those of highest Virtue do not strive for Virtue and so they have it. Those of lowest Virtue never stray from Virtue and so they lack it. Those of highest Virtue practice nonaction and never act for ulterior motives. Those of lowest Virtue act and always have some ulterior motive. Those of highest benevolence act, but without ulterior motives. Those of highest righteousness act, but with ulterior motives. Those who are ritually correct act, but if others do not respond, they roll up their sleeves and resort to force. (38)
---
The Daodejing embraces paradox as the best kind of language for getting close to expressing knowledge. This is what accounts for the enigmatic style of the text. However, it stresses that the highest kind of knowledge cannot be fully expressed using words: “Those who know do not talk about it; / Those who talk about it do not know” (56).
---
To produce without possessing; To act with no expectation of reward; To lead without lording over; Such is Enigmatic Virtue! (10)
---
This is a practical application of the advice of the Daodejing: In all the world, nothing is more supple or weak than water; Yet nothing can surpass it for attacking what is stiff and strong. And so nothing can take its place. That the weak overcomes the strong and the supple overcomes the hard, These are things everyone in the world knows but none can practice. (78)
---
Han Feizi believed that the ruler must not only control these handles but also endow them with sufficient weight to have an effect: “when handing out rewards, it is best to make them substantial and dependable, so that the people will prize them; when assigning penalties, it is best to make them heavy and inescapable, so that the people will fear them” (343).
---
For example, the ruler should be “empty and still.” This is not a spiritual discipline to achieve Virtue; it is a tactic. To be “empty” is for a ruler to “never reveal what he desires. For if he reveals what he desires, the ministers will cut and polish themselves accordingly” (314). To be “still,” a “ruler should never reveal what he intends. For if he reveals what he intends, the ministers will try to make themselves look distinctive” (314).
---
The wise ruler understands that humans are self-centered, so he never lets down his guard: “See others but do not allow yourself to be seen; hear others but do not allow yourself to be heard; know others but do not allow yourself to be known” (315).
---
Thus, Han Feizi advocates a system of government in which—due to the power of the ruler’s position, laws, bureaucratic techniques, rewards, and punishments—no one can achieve their private interests without acting in the public interest: “When a sage governs a state, he does not wait for people to be good in deference to him. Instead, he creates a situation in which people find it impossible to do wrong” (357).
Thankfully, "Introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy" is perfectly whelming as the title suggestions. It won’t make you close the book and gaze into nothingness for hours trying to re-evaluate your life but it also isn’t a Zen trick to make you go into nirvana due to it being too boring. It’s just a quick and decent introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy.
And now, here is the million quotes I highlighted,
Kongzi replied, “In your governing, Sir, what need is there for executions? If you desire goodness, then the common people will be good. The Virtue of a gentleman is like the wind, and the Virtue of a petty person is like the grass—when the wind moves over the grass, the grass is sure to bend”
---
In light of this, we can perhaps understand the frustration that led Kongzi to sigh, “I have yet to meet a man who loves Virtue as much as he loves sex” (9.18).
---
This led his disciple Zilu to bitterly complain, “Does even the gentleman encounter hardship?” Kongzi replied, “Of course the gentleman encounters hardship. The difference is that the petty man, encountering hardship, is overwhelmed by it” (15.2).
---
As the later Confucian Xunzi put it, “The learning of the petty person enters through his ears and passes out his mouth. From mouth to ears is only four inches—how could it be enough to improve a whole body much larger than that?”
---
Kongzi sums up the importance of thoughtful evaluation when he says, “When walking with two other people, I will always find a teacher among them. I focus on those who are good and seek to emulate them, and focus on those who are bad in order to be reminded of what needs to be changed in myself” (7.22).
---
Mengzi situates his philosophical anthropology in a broader worldview: “To fathom one’s heart is to understand one’s nature. If one understands one’s nature, then one understands Heaven” (7A1).
---
The solution the Daodejing offers for the corruption and violence of contemporary life is to return to a primitive, agrarian utopia—the human condition before the corrupting influences of culture, literature, urbanization, laws, and advanced technology: The more taboos and prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer the people. The more sharp implements the people have, the more benighted the state. The more clever and skillful the people, the more strange and perverse things arise. The more clear the laws and edicts, the more thieves and robbers. (57)
---
Those of highest Virtue do not strive for Virtue and so they have it. Those of lowest Virtue never stray from Virtue and so they lack it. Those of highest Virtue practice nonaction and never act for ulterior motives. Those of lowest Virtue act and always have some ulterior motive. Those of highest benevolence act, but without ulterior motives. Those of highest righteousness act, but with ulterior motives. Those who are ritually correct act, but if others do not respond, they roll up their sleeves and resort to force. (38)
---
The Daodejing embraces paradox as the best kind of language for getting close to expressing knowledge. This is what accounts for the enigmatic style of the text. However, it stresses that the highest kind of knowledge cannot be fully expressed using words: “Those who know do not talk about it; / Those who talk about it do not know” (56).
---
To produce without possessing; To act with no expectation of reward; To lead without lording over; Such is Enigmatic Virtue! (10)
---
This is a practical application of the advice of the Daodejing: In all the world, nothing is more supple or weak than water; Yet nothing can surpass it for attacking what is stiff and strong. And so nothing can take its place. That the weak overcomes the strong and the supple overcomes the hard, These are things everyone in the world knows but none can practice. (78)
---
Han Feizi believed that the ruler must not only control these handles but also endow them with sufficient weight to have an effect: “when handing out rewards, it is best to make them substantial and dependable, so that the people will prize them; when assigning penalties, it is best to make them heavy and inescapable, so that the people will fear them” (343).
---
For example, the ruler should be “empty and still.” This is not a spiritual discipline to achieve Virtue; it is a tactic. To be “empty” is for a ruler to “never reveal what he desires. For if he reveals what he desires, the ministers will cut and polish themselves accordingly” (314). To be “still,” a “ruler should never reveal what he intends. For if he reveals what he intends, the ministers will try to make themselves look distinctive” (314).
---
The wise ruler understands that humans are self-centered, so he never lets down his guard: “See others but do not allow yourself to be seen; hear others but do not allow yourself to be heard; know others but do not allow yourself to be known” (315).
---
Thus, Han Feizi advocates a system of government in which—due to the power of the ruler’s position, laws, bureaucratic techniques, rewards, and punishments—no one can achieve their private interests without acting in the public interest: “When a sage governs a state, he does not wait for people to be good in deference to him. Instead, he creates a situation in which people find it impossible to do wrong” (357).
December 23, 2021
concise yet comprehensive account of the history of classical Chinese philosophy, enjoyed how it included plenty of historical context and a few useful appendices at the end
Mao really sucked.
Mao really sucked.
June 29, 2022
Completed this for a college summer school course in 2022.
I appreciate the authors perspectives on the Masters.
I appreciate the authors perspectives on the Masters.
June 18, 2012
This was a welcome addition to a recent list of great philosophy I've read. I've been getting a little frustrated reading reputed global histories of thought that start with the Greeks, skip the Middle Ages, and jump into the European Renaissance, with no description of what else might have been going on. Of my recent reading, Gleick in "The Information" hinted at the importance of Indian formal logic in the development of Boolean algebra; likewise Haidt in "The Righteous Mind" approvingly quoted Confucius at length. This motivated me to get Van Norden's "Introduction".
It is wonderfully written, very clear and detailed without being ponderous; entertaining without being condescending. It is written at an upper undergraduate level, and though you probably don't need an understanding of Kant, Hume, or Hobbes to understand his lucid prose, it probably helps. Van Norden not only places the early thinkers of China in their geographical and temporal context, but in a context with the (much later) moral philosphers of Europe. And does so in a way that underscores their complexity, and how complementary their thinking is to Western thought. Instead of being a dead end, superseded by our superior Western philosophy (as a lot of comments on a recent NYT opinion piece suggested ) the implication is that we would engage with these Classic thinkers to our benefit.
And, based on some of the recent findings in moral psychology (again see Haidt) it really does seem like Kongzi and Mengzi were on to something that our recent one-note utilitarians have missed.
It is wonderfully written, very clear and detailed without being ponderous; entertaining without being condescending. It is written at an upper undergraduate level, and though you probably don't need an understanding of Kant, Hume, or Hobbes to understand his lucid prose, it probably helps. Van Norden not only places the early thinkers of China in their geographical and temporal context, but in a context with the (much later) moral philosphers of Europe. And does so in a way that underscores their complexity, and how complementary their thinking is to Western thought. Instead of being a dead end, superseded by our superior Western philosophy (as a lot of comments on a recent NYT opinion piece suggested ) the implication is that we would engage with these Classic thinkers to our benefit.
And, based on some of the recent findings in moral psychology (again see Haidt) it really does seem like Kongzi and Mengzi were on to something that our recent one-note utilitarians have missed.
June 8, 2018
Good introduction
The book does its job: introduce the Western audience to the fascinating history of classical Chinese philosophy, covering most of the important philosophers during and shortly before and during the Warring States Period (403-221BCE). Everything is laid out nicely and Van Norden does a good job of explaining the foreign concepts by comparing them to Western counterparts. Easy to follow and digest, each chapter is comfortably short to boot, with helpful quizzes at the end of each (which I took the time to answer, just to make sure I understood and retained the material). So why only 3 stars? Strictly as a college-level introduction for complete beginners, I might give it 4 stars, but the book, to me, was just that: an introduction. It didn't go beyond the task it set for itself (which isn't a problem per se) and remained on the surface throughout (though I admit that going into depth might go against the purpose of the book). I would've liked a little more depth and complexity, but then I came to the book having read The Annalects, Daodejing, Zhaungzhi, and some Mengzi, so I was familiar with the territory. Meaning I might not have the ideal audience for it. One good result, though, is that I came away wanting to read the philosophy of Mengzi (even though I wasn't impressed by him when I read him last year) as well as Han Feizi. So overall, it was time & money well spent.
The book does its job: introduce the Western audience to the fascinating history of classical Chinese philosophy, covering most of the important philosophers during and shortly before and during the Warring States Period (403-221BCE). Everything is laid out nicely and Van Norden does a good job of explaining the foreign concepts by comparing them to Western counterparts. Easy to follow and digest, each chapter is comfortably short to boot, with helpful quizzes at the end of each (which I took the time to answer, just to make sure I understood and retained the material). So why only 3 stars? Strictly as a college-level introduction for complete beginners, I might give it 4 stars, but the book, to me, was just that: an introduction. It didn't go beyond the task it set for itself (which isn't a problem per se) and remained on the surface throughout (though I admit that going into depth might go against the purpose of the book). I would've liked a little more depth and complexity, but then I came to the book having read The Annalects, Daodejing, Zhaungzhi, and some Mengzi, so I was familiar with the territory. Meaning I might not have the ideal audience for it. One good result, though, is that I came away wanting to read the philosophy of Mengzi (even though I wasn't impressed by him when I read him last year) as well as Han Feizi. So overall, it was time & money well spent.
August 27, 2017
Overall a really great introduction to an area I have very limited knowledge of. Van Norden covers a number of classical figures, compares them to each other and also to more widely known (from a Western perspective) philosophers and philosophical frameworks. I can see this being absolutely great for students in an intro course. I wish it could have gone a little more in depth (thus the loss of one star) but I do absolutely see why it is as concise as it is. Great intro resource.
September 28, 2018
Solid 4.5 stars, only because I don't like giving out 5 stars. Really good introduction to classical Chinese philosophy. I read it in conjunction with Ivanhoe and Van Norden, Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, reading the Introduction chapter on each author before reading the Readings volume's excerpts from that author. This plan worked very well.
January 15, 2023
I like to learn about different beliefs and philosophies. Recently, I've been studying Confucius and Mencius. This book is helpful and informative because it helps to explain their teaching, put them in their historical context, and talk about other contemporary philosophers and schools of philosophy. It also discusses the developmentt of Chinese philosophy from the beginning up to the present day.
A few interesting things I learned:
1. Even from way back in the beginning with the Xia dynasty, there was the traditional Chinese view that dynastics follow a cyclical pattern where a sage ruler establishes an ordered and prosperous society, but the rulers and society declined until eventually there is rebellion and a new dynasty is establised by a sage king.
2. The ancient examples of Yao, Shun, and Yu showed how these sage kings would choose a successor based on who was the most wise and virtuous, not based on heredity. Unfortunately, the trend did not last because apparently the people at the time preferred heredity.
3. The utilitarism of Mozi.
4. Confucius was not able to find a minister position during his life, but a modified version Confucianism became the orthodox school much aduring the Han Dyasty.
5. Mencius was similar. It was not until 1,000 years after death that he achieved his greatest influence.
6. Even in modern times after the Communist takeover in Mainland China, interest in traditional Chinese thought continued particularly in Hong Kong and Taiwan, this included the assertion that Confucianism allows a more complete expression of science, technogy, and democracy than Western philosophy does.
Overall, this book was very informative.
A few interesting things I learned:
1. Even from way back in the beginning with the Xia dynasty, there was the traditional Chinese view that dynastics follow a cyclical pattern where a sage ruler establishes an ordered and prosperous society, but the rulers and society declined until eventually there is rebellion and a new dynasty is establised by a sage king.
2. The ancient examples of Yao, Shun, and Yu showed how these sage kings would choose a successor based on who was the most wise and virtuous, not based on heredity. Unfortunately, the trend did not last because apparently the people at the time preferred heredity.
3. The utilitarism of Mozi.
4. Confucius was not able to find a minister position during his life, but a modified version Confucianism became the orthodox school much aduring the Han Dyasty.
5. Mencius was similar. It was not until 1,000 years after death that he achieved his greatest influence.
6. Even in modern times after the Communist takeover in Mainland China, interest in traditional Chinese thought continued particularly in Hong Kong and Taiwan, this included the assertion that Confucianism allows a more complete expression of science, technogy, and democracy than Western philosophy does.
Overall, this book was very informative.
January 17, 2025
I have read the Analects, the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu, but I haven't read Mencius or the Mohists or anything from the School of Names. I had heard of all of them, but mostly had forgotten the distinguishing features of their thought, so this book was a good refresher. I particularly enjoyed the compare and contrast discussions about how western philosophers from Plato, to Aristotle to Kant and on have tackled similar issues. We tend to think of the Chinese sages as coming from such a different point of view that no comparison is possible. That's partly true, but in many ways the most fundamental questions of philosophy are universal. Another thing of value here was the discussion of how the ideas of the Chinese sages, particularly Confucious, have been misconstrued to the point of parody. For example, Confucious certainly emphasized the importance of filial piety, ancient wisdom and correct observance of rites. But he was not dogmatic about any of these things. Where right living or common sense suggests that an exception is appropriate, then an exception should be made, though a good Confucian will always be judicious about this. Finally, it was interesting how much good government was a part of the thinking of the Chinese sages. And it was more than justifying the autocracy of the emperors as a sort of Chinese divine right of kings, though that idea was part of it. It's true that in the west we have Plato's Republic, Marcus Aurelius and, later on, Hobbes and Locke, but many, perhaps most, Western philosophers are uninterested in the philosophy of government.
May 11, 2024
This is a marvelous "first introduction" to classical Chinese. Like other reviewers have mentioned, I’m not exactly sure that someone without any knowledge of the language could actually make use of this book without a teacher, but for those with a knowledge of Chinese or Japanese I think this book could not have been better for a first little dip into classical Chinese. I’m planning to take the Outlier Linguistics class in classical Chinese as soon as I can, but I wanted to start with a little bit on my own and so I picked this up and I enjoyed working on it a lot more than I was expecting because of the high-quality of this book.
It’s a lot of fun first of all, the writing is witty and his choices for the texts are all famous passages from classical Chinese, including one much later Tang poem. The readings made for a well-rounded and intellectually stimulating reading. I also loved the nerd notes. Obviously because I am a nerd. You have to go to the website to download the worksheets, but I would recommend doing those before approaching each lesson--
I’ll also say that I absolutely loved that the author chose not to include the translations and I had to chase them down, because this forced me to work to try to understand the context without referring to something outside of the language itself.
I really recommend this book and own the Kindle, paperback, and hardcover!
It’s a lot of fun first of all, the writing is witty and his choices for the texts are all famous passages from classical Chinese, including one much later Tang poem. The readings made for a well-rounded and intellectually stimulating reading. I also loved the nerd notes. Obviously because I am a nerd. You have to go to the website to download the worksheets, but I would recommend doing those before approaching each lesson--
I’ll also say that I absolutely loved that the author chose not to include the translations and I had to chase them down, because this forced me to work to try to understand the context without referring to something outside of the language itself.
I really recommend this book and own the Kindle, paperback, and hardcover!
September 4, 2025
I cannot recommend this book enough. This is by far the most accessible entry into Classical Chinese Philosophy I’ve encountered, complete with exercises and appendices that explain how the language works, the main axioms of Chinese philosophy (it is very important to state them) and alternative explanations of Confucius.
The fact that it is an introductory book should cause no misunderstanding: the book is incredibly rich in what it offers. Not only does it explain clearly but intricately each one of the main schools of thought of Classical China, but it also provides space for the reader to engage with the ideas laid out in the book. For example, the author encourages the reader to engage with Hui Shi's paradoxes before offering and interpretation of them, and occasionally he offers contradictory interpretations to illustrate how open their meaning may be. However, this doesn’t make the book confusing, it is a surprisingly clear read (especially when compared to other works). Do keep in mind, though, that as a philosophy book, it is not to be read in a rush.
All in all, it is a must-have for anyone minimally curious about philosophy — that is, everyone.
The fact that it is an introductory book should cause no misunderstanding: the book is incredibly rich in what it offers. Not only does it explain clearly but intricately each one of the main schools of thought of Classical China, but it also provides space for the reader to engage with the ideas laid out in the book. For example, the author encourages the reader to engage with Hui Shi's paradoxes before offering and interpretation of them, and occasionally he offers contradictory interpretations to illustrate how open their meaning may be. However, this doesn’t make the book confusing, it is a surprisingly clear read (especially when compared to other works). Do keep in mind, though, that as a philosophy book, it is not to be read in a rush.
All in all, it is a must-have for anyone minimally curious about philosophy — that is, everyone.
September 28, 2020
Wonderful entry-level introduction to classical Chinese philosophy written in a readily accessible style. Van Norden's scholarly erudition, clear explanations, lively sense of humor, and willingness to point out places where the concerns of Chinese philosophers intersect with the concerns of Western philosophers make this the perfect place to start for those wondering what Kongzi (Confucius), Mengzi (Mencius), Laozi (Lao-Tzu), Mozi, Zuangzi, and those who followed in their footsteps down to Neo-Confucians such as Zhu Xi actually thought. The book concludes with a chapter on the continuing impact of these philosopher's work in modern China.
September 29, 2022
thorough
I got a lot out of this book. A pretty basic but decent account of the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. And a few others. All BCE. And two of which are possibly at least partly mythical. The author uses the correct Chinese names which I have already forgotten.
He outlines their thought as responses to basic obvious problems of living, especially living in a society. So there is a stress on ethical philosophy.
He relates their thoughts to well known western philosophers and even a few modern popular works.
So, simple enough and introductory in scope, but well worth a quick read.
I got a lot out of this book. A pretty basic but decent account of the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. And a few others. All BCE. And two of which are possibly at least partly mythical. The author uses the correct Chinese names which I have already forgotten.
He outlines their thought as responses to basic obvious problems of living, especially living in a society. So there is a stress on ethical philosophy.
He relates their thoughts to well known western philosophers and even a few modern popular works.
So, simple enough and introductory in scope, but well worth a quick read.
November 30, 2019
This introduction's key strength is that it actually presents ancient Chinese thought *as philosophy*, examining and evaluating thinkers' arguments and core positions. This approach marks it out from Sinological intros for students of philosophy who want to broaden their horizons. It's a quick but deep read. Can't wait to (finally) dive deep into primary texts now, well-oriented with this book in my head. 😎👌
July 15, 2023
My facile takeaway from this is that Chinese philosopy focuses entirely on the human. The way they are. The way they interact with the people around them.
I was particularly interested Legalism and the fact that the law takes presedent ones own morality. This concept seemed alien to me.
I plan to next read more about:
Ethical egoism - seems interesting to learn about
Han Fei - For something that seems so alien to me it sure has stuck around for a long time. I want to understand it more.
I was particularly interested Legalism and the fact that the law takes presedent ones own morality. This concept seemed alien to me.
I plan to next read more about:
Ethical egoism - seems interesting to learn about
Han Fei - For something that seems so alien to me it sure has stuck around for a long time. I want to understand it more.
December 6, 2021
Great introductory read that kept me engaged throughout the book.
March 12, 2022
A bit too US-centric, but oh well.
December 14, 2022
Pretty good
July 6, 2024
Very nice bird eye's view of classical chinese philosophy
Read
March 7, 2022Perhaps the best introduction and summary to Chinese philosophy available right now in English
July 31, 2018
A great introduction. Could be used to teach students.
October 4, 2015
While most of us in the West are familiar with the name Confucius, and possibly with the Daodejing it is unlike we know anything really about the philosophy behind the two, except perhaps the little quotes that usually start with "Confucius says:".
Van Norden sets out to correct that, as well as introduce us to other schools of thought from Warring States China. He does so very eloquently, stressing the fact that Eastern philosophy can't be interpreted the same as Western, as well as giving the basics of the historical background necessary to understand the traditions. He puts them in context with each other, and also offers and his own interpretation of them, while encouraging the reader to think deeper via his discussion questions.
Furthermore, he addresses the Chinese language as well as the different ways to read texts in the Appendices, making this book quite useful outside of an academic setting.
The only area where the book is really lacking is in further reading. He lists a couple of books at the beginning, but doesn't list any for specific topics, making it difficult for the curious reader to pursue the subject deeper.
On the whole, this is a great read for anyone interested in Classical Chinese philosophy, even if you're not an academic.
Van Norden sets out to correct that, as well as introduce us to other schools of thought from Warring States China. He does so very eloquently, stressing the fact that Eastern philosophy can't be interpreted the same as Western, as well as giving the basics of the historical background necessary to understand the traditions. He puts them in context with each other, and also offers and his own interpretation of them, while encouraging the reader to think deeper via his discussion questions.
Furthermore, he addresses the Chinese language as well as the different ways to read texts in the Appendices, making this book quite useful outside of an academic setting.
The only area where the book is really lacking is in further reading. He lists a couple of books at the beginning, but doesn't list any for specific topics, making it difficult for the curious reader to pursue the subject deeper.
On the whole, this is a great read for anyone interested in Classical Chinese philosophy, even if you're not an academic.
May 12, 2023
This was the second book I decide to read for my summer project of prepping to teach a course in Classical Chinese Philosophy. This is a single-authored narrative introduction to the seven philosophers in the tradition, and it gave me a lot of enormously helpful context and interpretive suggestions. It’ll no doubt be a book I’ll revisit a lot as I prepare for my lectures and classroom discussions.
Update, 5.13.23: I read through this book again over the past couple of months while teaching the course that I was prepping for last summer. I did find the historical context helpful, but this time around I found the actual philosophical content to be almost too simplistic to be helpful for my purposes, so I lowered my rating to 3 stars.
Update, 5.13.23: I read through this book again over the past couple of months while teaching the course that I was prepping for last summer. I did find the historical context helpful, but this time around I found the actual philosophical content to be almost too simplistic to be helpful for my purposes, so I lowered my rating to 3 stars.
August 25, 2024
A very modern introduction to Chinese philosophy from a western perspective. It gives a overview of some of the main ideas of some of the most influential philosophical movements and characters without going into great detail.
If you are more interested in learning the main concepts of ancient Chinese ideas and philosophies this is a good book. But if you want a more comprehensive and detailed understanding you won’t find it here. Hence the ”introduction”.
If you are more interested in learning the main concepts of ancient Chinese ideas and philosophies this is a good book. But if you want a more comprehensive and detailed understanding you won’t find it here. Hence the ”introduction”.
August 26, 2024
Very enjoyable and well written. It got me inspired to read and learn more and are already now several books further. Great introduction and I would guess also a good read even if you are not an absolute beginner.
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