A Comprehensive History of Chinese Rhetoric (Volume: Pre-Qin, Han Dynasty, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties)

Author: Chen Guanglei, Wang Junheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-02-01
Features: The multi-volume Comprehensive History of Chinese Rhetoric edited by the renowned rhetoric scholars Zheng Ziyou and Zong Tinghu has recently been completed by Jilin Education Press. The book is divided into five volumes: "Pre-Qin, Han, Wei-Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties," "Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan," "Ming and Qing," "Modern," and "Contemporary." With over 2.12 million words, it is a monumental work in the history of Chinese rhetoric. This grand work summarizes and reviews the vast body of Chinese rhetorical theories, analyzing and depicting the historical trajectory of rhetoric in ancient, modern, and contemporary China. Its publication holds significant importance for the development of Chinese rhetoric and is truly a cause for celebration. After reading the entire book, I believe it has the following notable characteristics:
1. Rich and Comprehensive Historical Materials. The book covers a broad scope with rich and detailed historical materials. From the Pre-Qin and Han periods to the modern and contemporary era, it involves over 400 ancient and modern scholars who discussed rhetoric, and it reviews more than 250 ancient and modern rhetorical works. Many previously unknown materials have been unearthed and introduced, greatly expanding the field of this historical study.
2. Comprehensive and Detailed Analysis. In terms of compilation, the ancient and modern sections focus on rhetorical studies in various literary forms such as essays and poetry, with scholars and works as subheadings. The modern and contemporary sections, however, organize the content by the various aspects of rhetoric as main headings and scholars' works as subheadings for analysis. The book adheres to the principle of unifying viewpoints with materials, combining macro and micro perspectives to highlight key points while maintaining a balanced approach. Some volumes also provide a comprehensive and multi-angle analysis of rhetorical studies during that period as needed.
3. Insightful and Original Critiques. The "Introduction" sections of each volume offer insightful analyses of the main characteristics of rhetorical studies during that historical period and their position in the history of rhetoric. The book's summary of modern rhetorical research methods and its analysis of contemporary rhetorical trends are also highly original. The division of the history of rhetoric into periods in the modern, contemporary, and late imperial eras is equally innovative. Given these points, we believe this "Comprehensive History" can be considered a culmination of contemporary Chinese rhetoric studies.
The book is divided into three parts:
Part One: Rhetorical Thought in Pre-Qin China, including chapters on exploring the rhetorical awareness of ancient people, Confucian rhetoric, Mohist rhetoric, Daoist rhetoric, Legalist rhetoric, the rhetoric of the Logicians and Sophists, the rhetoric of the Diplomats, and rhetorical thought in Pre-Qin classics.
Part Two: Rhetorical Thought in the Han Dynasty, including chapters on the rhetoric of Western Han and Eastern Han.
Part Three: Rhetorical Thought in the Wei-Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, including chapters on the rhetoric of Wei-Jin, the rhetoric of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the rhetoric of Buddhist scripture translation and metaphysical studies, and the rhetoric in Liu Xie's The Art of Rhetoric.