Thinking Through Confucius critically interprets the conceptual structure underlying Confucius' philosophical reflections. It also investigates "thinking," or "philosophy" from the perspective of Confucius. That authors suggest that an examination of Chinese philosophy may provide an alternative definition of philosophy that can be used to address some of the pressing issues of the Western cultural tradition.

"To quietly persevere in storing up what is learned, to continue studying without respite, to instruct others without growing weary--is this not me?" --Confucius Confucius is recognized as China's first and greatest teacher, and his ideas have been the fertile soil in which the Chinese cultural tradition has flourished. Now, here is a translation of the recorded thoughts and deeds that best remember Confucius--informed for the first time by the manuscript version found at Dingzhou in 1973, a partial text dating to 55 BCE and only made available to the scholarly world in 1997. The earliest Analects yet discovered, this work provides us with a new perspective on the central canonical text that has defined Chinese culture--and clearly illuminates the spirit and values of Confucius. Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born in the ancient state of Lu into an era of unrelenting, escalating violence as seven of the strongest states in the proto-Chinese world warred for supremacy. The landscape was not only fierce politically but also intellectually. Although Confucius enjoyed great popularity as a teacher, and many of his students found their way into political office, he personally had little influence in Lu. And so he began to travel from state to state as an itinerant philosopher to persuade political leaders that his teachings were a formula for social and political success. Eventually, his philosophies came to dictate the standard of behavior for all of society--including the emperor himself. Based on the latest research and complete with both Chinese and English texts, this revealing translation serves both as an excellent introduction to Confucian thought and as an authoritative addition to sophisticated debate.

Mou Zongsan (1909-1995) was one of the major Chinese philosophers of the twentieth century, whose entire intellectual enterprise consisted of rethinking the relevance in the modern age of Chinese thought in general and Confucianism in particular. Although his seminal work is now a reference point everywhere in the Chinese world, research on the topic in English remains scarce. This book explores a pivotal dimension of Mou’s philosophy—that is, his project of reconstructing a moral metaphysics based largely on a dialogue between reinterpreted Chinese thought and Kantism. It provides the reader with direct access to Mou Zongsan’s thought by introducing translated excerpts of his work and thoroughly explores a number of his most paradigmatic concepts.

Examines the issues of self (including gender), truth, and transcendence in classical Chinese and Western philosophy.

How did the ancient Chinese think about the world? Why are human rights as a concept so controversial in China? What does environmental consciousness stand for in the Chinese tradition? Where does China's obsession with education come from? What gets lost in translation in the Chinese language? We are often told that the twenty-first century is bound to become China's century. Never before has Chinese culture been so physically, digitally, economically or aesthetically present in everyday life in the Western world. In this enlightening book, Roel Sterckx takes us through centuries of Chinese history, with evocative examples from philosophy, politics and everyday life. A deeply knowledgeable expert who has been studying the country's culture and language for years, Sterckx is the perfect guide who can show us how the ancient Chinese have shaped the thinking of a civilization that is now influencing our own.

Concise, carefully researched, and well written, this volume presents an excellent introduction to the life and thought of one of history's most significant thinkers-a book sure to appeal to anyone interested in the philosophical, political, and religious movements of the ancient Far East.

Frank Flanagan explores the significance for western liberal/democratic educational systems of the philosophy of Confucius. He presents the central elements of Confucius' approach to education and government through an account of the biography of Confucius, an analysis of the Analects, and an evaluation of the Confucian tradition through selected contemporary critical accounts. He assesses the value that the Confucian tradition has for the educational systems of advanced industrialised countries in the 21st century.