| Summary: | Late Classical Chinese Thought surveys prominent issues and outlooks during the culminating period of classical Chinese philosophy, the third century bc. The book presents novel, informative perspectives on Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism, and other movements in early Chinese thought while also delving into neglected texts such as the Guanzi, Lu's Annals, and the Zhuangzi 'outer' chapters, restoring them to their rightful, prominent place in the history of philosophy. The book is the first treatment of classical Chinese thought to be organized topically, devoting separate chapters to metaphysics and metaethics, political philosophy, ethics, moral psychology, epistemology, and philosophy of language and logic. It is also the first to focus specifically on the last century of the Warring States era, the most vibrant, diverse period of philosophical discourse in Chinese history. The discussion covers the shared concerns, rival doctrines, and competing criticisms presented in third-century bc sources while explicating the distinctive issues, conceptual frameworks, and background assumptions of classical Chinese thought. The book aims to introduce the rich philosophical discourse of early China to a broad audience, including readers with no prior familiarity with the material. At the same time, the thematic treatment and incisive interpretations of individual texts will be of interest to students and specialists in the field.
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