A Concise History of Chinese Philosophy (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: Feng Youlan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A seminal work by the philosophy master Feng Youlan, translated into English and best-selling for over half a century. First translated into Chinese in the 1980s, the 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, the author's concern for real-world issues reflects the great 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 an enriching classic in philosophical 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 American publishing company Macmillan in 1948. Upon its release, the book immediately became a super introductory guide for Westerners to understand and study Chinese philosophy. Subsequently, translations in French, Italian, Spanish, Yugoslav, and Japanese were published. For over half a century, the book has been a standard textbook for Chinese philosophy in universities worldwide, exerting significant influence in the West. Critics argue that 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, the author's concern for real-world issues reflects the great 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 an enriching classic in philosophical discourse.
For a long time, the book was not available in Chinese. It was not until the 1980s that it was translated into Chinese by Feng Youlan's student based on the English version 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.