Description
Book SynopsisZhu Xi (1130–1200) was the preeminent Confucian thinker of the Song dynasty. This book presents the essential teachings of the new Confucian (“Neo-Confucian”) philosophical system that he forged. Daniel K. Gardner’s translation renders these discussions and sayings in an accessible, conversational style.
Trade ReviewGardner, the foremost interpreter of Zhu Xi in America, strikes a perfect balance between translation and explication: he takes the reader through a nuanced reading of key passages from Zhu’s voluminous oeuvre, supplying at just the right points explanations of concepts and contexts. A superb resource for students of China, in the classroom and beyond. -- Cynthia Brokaw, Brown University
With introductions succinctly explaining why and how the philosopher reshaped the Confucian tradition and what his basic and most enduring teachings are about, this volume is an elegant translation of passages carefully selected and thematically arranged to convey the central message of Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism. As an eminent scholar in the field, Gardner has successfully rendered its profundity not only more intelligible to students but also readily accessible to the public. -- Charles Chan, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Zhu Xi: Basic Teachings is an excellent introduction to Neo-Confucianism as synthesized by its most influential proponent. Building on his earlier publications and translations, Daniel Gardner has given us highly accessible translations and explanations of Zhu Xi's work while preserving the style and voice of this central figure in East Asian thought. -- Hilde De Weerdt, author of
Information, Territory, and Networks: The Crisis and Maintenance of Empire in Song ChinaDaniel Gardner gives us an excellent guide to Zhu Xi’s ideas on a broad range of topics that concerned him. By drawing materials largely from Zhu’s conversations with students, Gardner often lets us see Zhu thinking on his feet in response to questions, offering fascinating insights into an important mind at work. -- Robert Paul Hymes, author of
Way and Byway: Taoism, Local Religion, and Models of Divinity in Sung and Modern ChinaThese writings of Zhu Xi’s will be extraordinarily useful for a wide audience, including general readers. A volume like this for Song Neo-Confucianism is long past due. -- Robert André LaFleur, author of
China: A Global Studies HandbookSuperbly translated. -- Sukhee Lee * Journal of Chinese History *
This is a book of which at least one copy should be on the shelves of every university library. It is the book I would recommend to any student who would ask for a short introduction to Zhu Xi’s philosophy and thought. It is a little masterpiece. -- Joachim Gentz * Journal of Chinese Religions *
An ideal resource for classes on Confucianism and East Asian religions. -- Lukas K. Pokorny * Religious Studies Review *
Gardner’s translations from the
Zhuzi yulei constitute a most welcome contribution on the study of so-called Neo-Confucianism and the man and his work that informed this philosophical system that still reverberates through contemporary Chinese discourses. -- Bernhard Fuehrer * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Notes on the Text and Translation
1. Foundations of the Universe
2. Human Beings
3. Learning
4. A Theory of Reading
5. Moral Self-Cultivation
Glossary
Notes
Works Cited
Index
