Description
Book SynopsisThe intellectual legacy of Confucianism has loomed large in efforts to understand China's past, present, and future. While Confucian ethics has been thoroughly explored, the question remains: what exactly is Confucian political thought? Classical Confucian Political Thought returns to the classical texts of the Confucian tradition to answer this vi
Trade Review"A probing, well-organized, clearly written work. . . . She contextualizes her arguments knowledgeably in historical and textual terms alike, constructing a surprisingly sophisticated presentation of a wide-ranging yet clearly defined reading of Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. . . . . This sinologically and philosophically solid study deserves a wide readership and belongs in all collections."
---Russell Kirkland, Religious Studies ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Note on Translations and Transliterations xi Prologue 1 * Ethics and Politics in Classical Confucianism 2 * The Thesis of This Book 9 * Historical Background 16 * Chapter Outline 26 Chapter 1. Ruler and Ruled 29 * The Virtue Argument 30 * The People-Continued 37 * Hegemons 51 * Conclusion 61 Chapter 2. Rules and Regulations 62 * Security 63 * Welfare 68 * Promoting the Worthy 73 * Conclusion 80 Chapter 3. A Harmonious Society 82 * The Case against the Mohists 84 * Rituals 91 * Filiality 107 * Conclusion 114 Chapter 4. Rulers and Ministers 117 * Xunzi's Vision 118 * Insubordinate Ministers 124 * Revisiting the Question of Virtuous Rulership 135 * Conclusion 140 Chapter 5. Political Involvement 143 * Biographical Preliminaries 144 * The Virtue of Political Involvement 145 * Dilemmas of Political Life 151 * Conclusion 174 Chapter 6. Heaven in Politics 176 * Heaven's Allotments 180 * Uncertainty and Political Involvement 184 * Heaven's Patterns 190 * Conclusion 193 Epilogue 194 Bibliography 197 Index 207
