Chinese Philosophy
The Confucian and Daoist traditions, from the classical masters to the Neo-Confucians.
- ConfucianismThe Chinese tradition of learning, ritual and humaneness founded on the teaching of Confucius.
- Neo-ConfucianismThe Confucian revival of the Song and Ming dynasties, with its philosophy of principle and its discipline of self-cultivation.
- DaoismThe Chinese philosophical and religious tradition of the Dao, the Way.
- ConfuciusChinese teacher whose sayings, recorded in the Analects, founded the Confucian tradition.
- MenciusConfucian philosopher who taught that human nature is good.
- LaoziTraditional author of the Daodejing, the classic of the Way and its power.
- ZhuangziDaoist philosopher of freedom, perspective and spontaneity.
- Wang BiProdigy of the “Learning of the Mysterious” and the classic commentator on Laozi.
- Zhu XiThe great synthesizer of Neo-Confucianism, whose commentaries became Chinese orthodoxy.
- Wang YangmingMing dynasty philosopher and statesman who taught the unity of knowledge and action.
- RenHumaneness: the Confucian virtue of being fully human toward others.
- XinThe heart-mind: in Chinese thought, the seat of both feeling and understanding.
- Li (principle)In Neo-Confucianism, the principle or pattern that makes each thing what it is.
- LiangzhiInnate knowing of the good, which Wang Yangming made the heart of his teaching.
- DaoThe Way: in Daoism, the nameless source and pattern of all things.
- Confucian AnalectsLegge’s translation, with the Chinese text and notes, of the Analects, the sayings and conversations of Confucius and his disciples, on humaneness, ritual, learning, the gentleman and good government, published with the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean.
- The Works of MenciusLegge’s translation, with the Chinese text and notes, of the Mencius: conversations with rulers on humane government, debates with rival thinkers, and the teaching that human nature is good, with its four sprouts and its innate knowing of the good.
- A Source Book in Chinese PhilosophyWing-tsit Chan’s anthology of Chinese philosophy in translation, from Confucius and Laozi through the Buddhist schools to the Neo-Confucians and modern thinkers, with introductions to each, long the standard English reader in the subject.