A Collection of Essays by Yu Ying-shih. Volume 3, Confucian Ethics and the Spirit of Merchants

Author: Yu Yingshi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: These four volumes of the "Collected Works" are largely essays on Chinese historiography, cultural history, and intellectual history, although a few discuss Western history and culture. The writing period spans from the 1950s to the recent one or two years; over this half-century, the author's knowledge and ideas have undergone significant changes and progress. If the author were to rewrite these essays with today's understanding, they would undoubtedly present a different face. However, whether rewriting or thoroughly revising, it is practically impossible. The author can only publish the old works anew to preserve their authenticity. The essays in this volume focus on the often overlooked aspects of the study of traditional Chinese culture, elucidating the role of the Han Dynasty's upright officials in cultural dissemination and the complex relationship between the evolution of the Wei and Jin scholar culture and traditional Confucian and Daoist thought. Against this backdrop, the book emphasizes the gradual rise of the merchant class since the Ming and Qing dynasties, their close ties to traditional intellectual and cultural spheres, and the significant changes they brought to the existing social structure, making it highly relevant to contemporary issues.