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Decoding Dao: Reading the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) and the Zhuangzi
Written by a leading authority on Chinese philosophy, Decoding Dao uniquely focuses on the core texts in Daoist philosophy, providing readers with a user-friendly introduction that unravels the complexities of these seminal volumes.
Offers a detailed introduction to the core texts in Daoist philosophy, the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi, two of the most widely read – and most challenging – texts in China’s long literary history Covers the three main ways the texts can be as religious, mystical, and philosophical works Explores their historical context, origins, authorship, and the reasons these seminal texts came into being, along with the key terms and approaches they take Examines the core philosophical arguments made in the texts, as well as the many ways in which they have been interpreted, both in China itself and in the West Provides readers with an unrivalled insight into the multifaceted philosophy of Daoism – and the principles underlying much of Chinese culture – informed by the very latest academic scholarship
Offers a detailed introduction to the core texts in Daoist philosophy, the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi, two of the most widely read – and most challenging – texts in China’s long literary history Covers the three main ways the texts can be as religious, mystical, and philosophical works Explores their historical context, origins, authorship, and the reasons these seminal texts came into being, along with the key terms and approaches they take Examines the core philosophical arguments made in the texts, as well as the many ways in which they have been interpreted, both in China itself and in the West Provides readers with an unrivalled insight into the multifaceted philosophy of Daoism – and the principles underlying much of Chinese culture – informed by the very latest academic scholarship
- GenresPhilosophyTaoism
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2013
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December 27, 2020
This is a book of musings and interpretations of the two dominant and best-known Daoist texts, the Laozi and the Zhuangzi. As such, it enters into a canon of commentary that is pretty deep even here in the West. I suppose that means that there are a lot of such books and most have something to offer, if only in providing the beginner an entry point and the scholar with a new point of view. I happen to like this particular book and its often fresh take on such concepts as harmony or chaos, for example. It's good stuff for those deeply interested in the field.
Displaying 1 of 1 review