The Huainanzi opens a unique window into the intellectual life of the early Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-7 C.E.). Compiled by scholars at the court of Liu An, king of Huainan, and intended to summarize "all that a modern monarch needs to know," the text was formally presented by the king to his much younger cousin, Emperor Wu, in 139 B.C.E. This first complete English translation of The Huainanzi, the product of twelve years of scholarship, faithfully reveals its tightly organized, sophisticated articulation of early Han philosophy and statecraft. Widely misperceived as a pastiche of material from various pre-Han texts, The Huainanzi emerges as a brilliant synthesis of traditions spanning the full spectrum of early Chinese thought. It quotes both Daoist classics such as Laozi and Zhuangzi and works associated with the Confucian tradition such as the Changes, the Odes, and the Documents, and alludes to texts of other traditions, from Mozi to Hanfeizi. The Huainanzi emphasizes rigorous self-cultivation and mental discipline, claiming that successful rule requires not only broad knowledge and diligent application but also, above all, the penetrating wisdom of a sage. This remarkable translation preserves The Huainanzi's special rhetorical features, such as parallel prose and verse, demonstrating that the text's literary achievements are much more complex than previously believed and powerfully serve to complement and convey its philosophical message.
The Huainanzi opens a unique window into the intellectual life of the early Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-7 C.E.). Compiled by scholars at the court of Liu An, king of Huainan, and intended to summarize "all that a modern monarch needs to know," the text was formally presented by the king to his much younger cousin, Emperor Wu, in 139 B.C.E. This first complete English translation of The Huainanzi, the product of twelve years of scholarship, faithfully reveals its tightly organized, sophisticated articulation of early Han philosophy and statecraft. Widely misperceived as a pastiche of material from various pre-Han texts, The Huainanzi emerges as a brilliant synthesis of traditions spanning the full spectrum of early Chinese thought. It quotes both Daoist classics such as Laozi and Zhuangzi and works associated with the Confucian tradition such as the Changes, the Odes, and the Documents, and alludes to texts of other traditions, from Mozi to Hanfeizi. The Huainanzi emphasizes rigorous self-cultivation and mental discipline, claiming that successful rule requires not only broad knowledge and diligent application but also, above all, the penetrating wisdom of a sage. This remarkable translation preserves The Huainanzi's special rhetorical features, such as parallel prose and verse, demonstrating that the text's literary achievements are much more complex than previously believed and powerfully serve to complement and convey its philosophical message.
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Originating in the Way 2. Activating the Genuine 3. Celestial Patterns 4. Terrestrial Forms 5. Seasonal Rules 6. Surveying Obscurities 7. Quintessential Spirit 8. The Basic Warp 9. The Ruler's Techniques 10. Profound Precepts 11. Integrating Customs 12. Responses of the Way 13. Boundless Discourses 14. Sayings Explained 15. An Overview of the Military 16. and 17. A Mountain of Persuasions and A Forest of Persuasions 18. Among Others 19. Cultivating Effort 20. The Exalted Lineage 21. An Overview of the Essentials Appendix A. Key Chinese Terms and Their Translations Appendix B. Categorical Terms Appendix C. A Concise Textual History of the Huainanzi and a Bibliography of Huainanzi Studies Index
Long dismissed as a 'syncretic' or 'miscellaneous' encyclopedia of little intellectual interest, the unjustly neglected Huainanzi, composed under the auspices of Liu An, prince of Huainan, has now been translated into English by a dedicated team of experts. The work's 'root' and 'branch' structure; its comprehensive vision that integrates man, Heaven, and Earth; its foundations in Daoist cosmology and the ineffable dao (Way); and its rich poetic language and philosophical innovation have all been brilliantly captured. An extraordinary achievement and a major contribution to the history of early Chinese thought, this book was read with great pleasure and often surprise. I recommend it with the utmost enthusiasm. -- Robin D. S. Yates, author of Five Lost Classics: Tao, Huang-lao, and Yin-yang in Han China
John S. Major, formerly professor of history at Dartmouth College, is an independent scholar and writer. He is the author of Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought: Chapters Three, Four, and Five of the Huainanzi and the author, coauthor, or editor of almost thirty other books, including Defining Chu: Image and Reality in Ancient China. Sarah A. Queen, professor of history at Connecticut College, is the author of From Chronicle to Canon: The Hermeneutics of the Spring and Autumn, According to Tung Chung-shu. Her current work includes a translation and study of the Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn (with John S. Major) and an edited volume, Liu An's Vision of Empire: New Perspectives on the Huainanzi (with Michael Puett). Andrew Seth Meyer, assistant professor of history at Brooklyn College, is the author of several articles, including "The Sunzi bingfa as History and Theory." His current projects are To Rule All Under Heaven, a history of the Warring States period (481-221 B.C.E.), and a translation of the Wenzi (with Harold D. Roth). Harold D. Roth, professor of religious studies and East Asian studies at Brown University, is the author or editor of four books and more than forty scholarly articles. His books include The Textual History of the Huai-nan tzu and Original Tao: Inward Training and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism. Michael Puett, professor of Chinese history at Harvard University, is the author, most recently, of Ritual and Its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity. Judson Murray, assistant professor of religion at Wright State University, is the author of "A Study of 'Yaolue,' 'A Summary of the Essentials': Understanding the Huainanzi Through the Point of View of the Author of the Postface."
An excellent and richly annotated translation. -- Moss Roberts Journal of the American Oriental Society Users of this magnificent contribution to the study of Chinese thought will find here almost everything imaginable. -- Russell Kirkland Religious Studies Review It is a major accomplishment in every sense of the term. -- Mark Csikszentmihalyi Journal of Chinese Studies In sum, this volume bringing to annotated translation all 21 chapters of the Huainanzi will invaluably ease and enhance the work of future scholars. -- Benjamin E. Wallacker Journal of Asian History [An] epochal achievement... The Huainanzi vibrates with the authors' intellectual confidence... this translation of the Huainanzi is a convenient and reassuring shortcut into the heart of traditional China. -- Barbara Hendrischke Monumenta Serica This English version earns for the Huainanzi the widespread recognition as anepochal classic that it deserves, and at the same time provides a resource forspecialists. The translations are carefully thought out but evocative. China Review International
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