Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought: Chapters Three, Four and Five of the Huainanzi

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture

by John S. Major

(S U N Y Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture)

408 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[Jason Johnson]

Commentary and translation of three chapters in the Huainanzi. Gives the Huang-Lao philosophical context which gave rise to the genesis of the Su Wen and Lingshu (The Medical Classics of the Yellow Emperor).

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written and scholarly translation and commentary on the three cosmological chapters contained in the Chinese philosophical text, the Huainanzi.

[Gavin White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book treats 3 chapters of the Huainanzi in considerable detail. With a general introduction on Han period cosmology and extensive commentaries, this is an in-depth exploration of traditional Chinese ideas about man and his relationship to the cosmos.
The first main chapter concerns the 'Patterns of Heaven', which deals with astronomy and astrology relays information on the movement of the planets, the lunar mansions,the path of the sun and the seasons. The second main chapter deals with Chinese ideas about the earth, China's central place in the cosmos and the inhabitants of the mysterious outlaying regions where semi-mythical creatures abound. The third main chapter is about the seasonal rules - whereby the actions and activities of men and the state are set in harmony with the passing seasons.
All in all, a fascinating view of how a complex traditional culture viewed itself and the cosmos it inhabited.