Origins of Chinese Political Philosophy

About this book

Origins of Chinese Political Philosophy' is the first book in any Western language to explore the composition, language, thought, and early history of the 'Shangshu' (Classic of Documents), one of the pillars of the Chinese textual, intellectual, and political tradition. In examining the text from multiple disciplinary and intellectual perspectives, 'Origins of Chinese Political Philosophy' challenges the traditional accounts of the nature and formation of the 'Shangshu' and its individual chapters. As it analyzes in detail the central ideas and precepts given voice in the text, it further recasts the 'Shangshu' as a collection of dynamic cultural products that expressed and shaped the political and intellectual discourses of different times and communities.