Timing and Rulership in Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals (Lüshi chunqiu) (Chinese Philosophy Culture) - Softcover

Sellmann, James D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0791452328 ISBN 13: 9780791452325

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 2002

Synopsis

Explores proper timing and the arts of rulership in the work that inspired China's first emperor.

Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals (Lüshi chunqiu) inspired the king who united the warring states to become China's first emperor. In this work on the Lüshi chunqiu, author James D. Sellmann finds that the concept of "proper timing" makes the work's diverse philosophies coherent. He discusses the life and times of its author, Lü Buwei, and the structure of the work. Sellmann also analyzes the role of human nature, the justification of the state, and the significance of cosmic, historical, and personal timing in the Lüshi chunqiu. An organic instrumentalist position begins to emerge from the diverse theories of the Lüshi chunqiu. In conclusion, Sellmann looks at the implications of the syncretic philosophies of the Lüshi chunqiu for contemporary conceptions of time, human nature, political order, and social and environmental ethics.

About this title

About the Author

James D. Sellmann is Professor of Philosophy and Director of East Asian Studies at the University of Guam.

Edition details

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0791452328
• ISBN 13: 9780791452325
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 277