Life's ancient teachings dialectic

Author: Fu Si-nien
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: This book is an outstanding work by Fu Si-nien on the history of ancient Chinese thought. It meticulously counts and analyzes the characters "xing" (nature) and "ming" (fate) from Shang-Zhou oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions to the canonical texts of the pre-Qin philosophers, discussing the thoughts of the pre-Qin philosophers based on their origins and evolution, and ultimately concluding that Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism is a continuation and summary of pre-Qin thought. This book approaches the construction of macro historical thought from micro perspectives of character forms and meanings using methods from etymology, textual criticism, and linguistics, vividly embodying Fu's academic philosophy that "philosophy is a byproduct of linguistics" and his rigorous scholarly style. This book is one of Fu Si-nien's important works in the field of history. It starts from a linguistic perspective, counting all the characters related to "xing" and "ming" from oracle bone inscriptions, bronze vessels, and ritual vessels to pre-Qin canonical texts, using phonology, etymology, and textual criticism to seek the meanings of characters through their forms. In the process of exploring the evolution of ancient characters, the author further investigates the underlying historical and cultural significance behind their evolution, using the explanations of "xing" and "ming" to organize the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, and Mozi, ultimately concluding that Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism is the culmination of pre-Qin Confucian thought. This book is an outstanding work by the author on the history of ancient Chinese thought, meticulously analyzing the characters "xing" and "ming" from Shang-Zhou oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions to the canonical texts of the pre-Qin philosophers, discussing the thoughts of the pre-Qin philosophers based on their origins and evolution.