From the constructive-engagement vantage point of doing philosophy of language comparatively, this anthology explores (1) how reflective elaboration of some distinct features of the Chinese language and of philosophically interesting resources concerning language in Chinese philosophy can contribute to our treatment of a range of issues in philosophy of language and (2) how relevant resources in contemporary philosophy of language can contribute to philosophical interpretations of reflectively interesting resources concerning the Chinese language and Chinese texts. The foregoing contributing fronts constitute two complementary sides of this project. This volume includes 12 contributing essays and 2 engagement-background essays which are organized into six parts on distinct issues. The anthology also includes the volume editor’s theme introduction on comparative philosophy of language and his engaging remarks for three parts.

This anthology explores how Chinese and Western philosophies could jointly and constructively contribute to a common philosophical enterprise. Philosophers with in-depth knowledge of both traditions present a variety of distinct comparative approaches, offering a refined introduction to the further reaches of Chinese philosophy in the comparative context, especially regarding its three major constituents - Confucianism, philosophical Daoism, and the Yi-Jing philosophy. This book examines various issues concerning philosophical methodology, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and logic, and investigates both the living-spring source of Chinese philosophy and its contemporary implications and development through contemporary resources. The balanced coverage, accessible content, and breadth of approaches presented in this anthology make it a valuable resource for students of Chinese Philosophy, Comparative Philosophy, and other related courses.

An introduction to Chinese philosophy and a reference tool for sinologists. Comments by important Chinese thinkers are arranged around 64 key concepts to illustrate their meaning and use through 25 centuries of Chinese philosophy. The book includes comments on each section by the translator.

This collection of essays by leading sinologists, historians, and philosophers both challenges and extends the work of David Nivison, whose contributions range across moral philosophy, religious thought, intellectual history, and Chinese language. Nivison himself replies to each essay.

This book is a companion to logical thought and logical thinking in China with a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. It introduces the basic ideas and theories of Chinese thought in a comprehensive and analytical way. It covers thoughts in ancient, pre-modern and modern China from a historical point of view. It deals with topics in logical (including logico-philosophical) concepts and theories rooted in China, Indian and Western Logic transplanted to China, and the development of logical studies in contemporary China and other Chinese communities. The term “philosophy of logic” or “logico-philosophical thought” is used in this book to represent “logical thought” in a broad sense which includes thinking on logical concepts, modes of reasoning, and linguistic ideas related to logic and philosophical logic. Unique in its approach, the book uses Western logical theories and philosophy of language, Chinese philology, and history of ideas to deal with the basic ideas and major problems in logical thought and logical thinking in China. In doing so, it advances the understanding of the lost tradition in Chinese philosophical studies.

Guided by 20th century theories of language, Hansen's novel approach to interpretive theory launched the modern analytical study of Ancient Chinese philosophy. This 1983 publication challenged authority-based traditional "religious" accounts stemming from 18th and 19th century missionary dictionaries and reliance on interpretive authority. "Hansen shows that one tiny grammatical question... has profound implications for the understanding of Chinese philosophy. ...This is surely a decisive breakthrough ... a great success. His observations about Chinese thought in general are always stimulating and illuminating. A book which excites one to rethink things from the foundations." A. C. Graham "An ambitious and provocative book concerning the relationship between language and thought in ancient China. ... a novel and powerful theory about the nature of classical Chinese language ... a better understanding of many issues in classical Chinese philosophy." P. J. Ivanhoe "[The] importance of this book lies ... in its engaging style, novel ideas, and rigorous argumentation, which can serve as a model for future work in Chinese philosophy. Hansen takes Chinese philosophy seriously as philosophy. For anyone tired of the superficial summaries or scholastic commentaries that so often characterize this field, Hansen's book will be a memorable and welcome change." Michael Martin

This book investigates Chinese comprehension and treatment of the relationship between language and reality. The work examines ancient Chinese philosophy through the pair of concepts known as ming-shi. By analyzing the pre-Qin thinkers’ discourse on ming and shi, the work explores how Chinese philosophers dealt with issues not only in language but also in ontology, epistemology, ethics, axiology, and logic. Through this discourse analysis, readers are invited to rethink the relationship of language to thought and behavior. The author criticizes and corrects vital misunderstandings of Chinese culture and highlights the anti-dualism and pragmatic character of Chinese thoughts. The rich meaning of the ming-shi pair is displayed by revealing its connection to other philosophical issues. The chapters show how discourse on language and reality shapes a central characteristic of Chinese culture, the practical zhi. They illuminate the interplay of Chinese theories of language and Dao as Chinese wisdom and worldview. Readers who are familiar with pragmatics and postmodernism will recognize the common points in ancient Chinese philosophy and contemporary Western philosophy, as they emerge through these chapters. The work will particularly appeal to scholars of philosophy, philosophy of language, communication studies and linguistics.

This book is an introduction in the very best sense of the word. It provides the beginner with an accurate, sophisticated, yet accessible account, and offers new insights and challenging perspectives to those who have more specialized knowledge. Focusing on the period in Chinese philosophy that is surely most easily approachable and perhaps is most important, it ranges over of rich set of competing options. It also, with admirable self-consciousness, presents a number of daring attempts to relate those options to philosophical figures and movements from the West. I recommend it very highly.--Lee H. Yearley, Walter Y. Evans-Wentz Professor, Religious Studies, Stanford University

This ambitious book presents a new interpretation of Chinese thought guided both by a philosopher's sense of mystery and by a sound philosophical theory of meaning. That dual goal, Hansen argues, requires a unified translation theory. It must provide a single coherent account of the issues that motivated both the recently untangled Chinese linguistic analysis and the familiar moral-political disputes. Hansen's unified approach uncovers a philosophical sophistication in Daoism that traditional accounts have overlooked.

Explores the thought of Wang Bi, the third-century Chinese philosopher who made brilliant, innovative contributions in an era when traditional intellectual institutions and orthodoxies had collapsed.