A Brief History of Chinese Philosophy [Illustrated Treasure Edition] (Illustrated Treasure Edition)

Author: Feng Youlan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A seminal work by the philosophy master Feng Youlan, translated into English and selling for over half a century. First translated into Chinese in the 1980s, its first edition sold 100,000 copies. The preferred reading for understanding Chinese philosophy. This book is the crystallization of Feng Youlan's philosophy and thoughts. With a limited volume, it connects knowledge from ancient and modern China and the West, filled with wisdom and insights of a philosopher. Especially noteworthy is the author's concern for real-world issues, embodying the spirit of "never forgetting to save the country while studying, and never forgetting to study while saving the country." For today's Chinese readers, it remains a classic of profound intellectual discourse.
In 1947, the great contemporary philosopher Feng Youlan was appointed as a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, where he taught the History of Chinese Philosophy. His English lecture notes were later compiled into A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, published by the renowned U.S. publishing house Macmillan in 1948. Upon its release, the book immediately became a super introductory text for Westerners to understand and study Chinese philosophy. Subsequent translations into French, Italian, Spanish, Yugoslav, and Japanese followed. For over half a century, it has been a standard textbook for Chinese philosophy in universities worldwide, exerting significant influence in the West. Critics regard this book as the crystallization of Feng Youlan's philosophy and thoughts, his seminal work, and the preferred reading for understanding Chinese philosophy. With its limited volume, it connects knowledge from ancient and modern China and the West, filled with wisdom and insights of a philosopher. Especially noteworthy is the author's concern for real-world issues, embodying the spirit of "never forgetting to save the country while studying, and never forgetting to study while saving the country." For today's Chinese readers, it remains a classic of profound intellectual and cultural significance.
For a long time, the book was not available in Chinese. It was only in the 1980s that it was translated into Chinese by Feng Youlan's student according to the English text and published by Peking University Press in 1985. The first edition of the Chinese version printed 100,000 copies and quickly sold out, becoming a bestseller in academia at the time.