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The Intellectual Foundations of China
Containing an introduction to the basic ideas that underlie traditional Chinese culture, this work, focuses on the Golden Age (600 BC-150 BC) of Chinese philosophy. It is available in paperback.
130 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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About the author
Frederick W. Mote
13 books6 followersFrederick Wade "Fritz" Mote, was an American Sinologist and a professor of History at Princeton University for nearly 50 years. His research and teaching interests focused on China during the Ming Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 27, 2019
This book is a popular introduction to the basics of Chinese philosophy for a good reason. This book can take the complex ideas of Chinese philosophy, so different from the western tradition, and present them in a way that reader can understand. The book is a also interesting as a study in contrast, how the western tradition was different from the Chinese tradition, and using this contrast to show what makes the Chinese philosophic tradition so unique. However there are some problems with the book.
1.) No coverage of the Five Classics-The five classics are five books dating from the Zhou era in China and serve as foundational texts in Chinese thought and culture, and later on would become the curriculum for the aspiring scholar in China. The book has no detailed treatment of these books and there are only a few references to them in the book. There are a few references to Confucius reading state documents, yet Confucian thought is treated as the invention of Confucius. When Confucius says he is merely a transmitter of the way, Mote doesn't seem take him seriously.
2.) Bias-Mote often likes to contrast Confucianism as a philosophy based on reason with monotheistic religion in the west which is irrational. Maybe there is a point here, but it is overstressed. Mote also likes to display his own elitism throughout the book, by contrasting the philosophy of the elites with the thought of the masses. He stresses the difference between philosophic Daoism and religious Daoism, making religious Daoism seems to be attractive only to the literal minded masses who take the mystic poetry of Laozi and Zhuuangzi literally. It is most obvious in his chapter on Mozi. He writes that Mozi "reeks of what we like to consider lower middle-class virtues" (78). His philosophy is throughly contempted. Taking material conditions seriously is considered foolish and Mote attempts to slander him by claiming Mozi was more interested in the mythical Xia dynasty than the Zhou dynasty and thus was a mystic authoritarian!
3.)Sources- I understand not wanting to include detailed notation in a book intended for intro history courses, but it would be more helpful if he could cite where certain ideas come from or where they can be found in the test discussed. For instance in his discussion of Chinese cosmology , it would be helpful what specific texts these ideas can be found in. He opens his discussion with a short section on the I Ching (mostly to say it is difficult to understand) and then discusses Chinese cosmology. So are these ideas from the I Ching, from another source, from a variety. He doesn't often give quotations either. When discussing say Mohism, he will just say this is what they believe instead of showing us what Mozi said himself.
1.) No coverage of the Five Classics-The five classics are five books dating from the Zhou era in China and serve as foundational texts in Chinese thought and culture, and later on would become the curriculum for the aspiring scholar in China. The book has no detailed treatment of these books and there are only a few references to them in the book. There are a few references to Confucius reading state documents, yet Confucian thought is treated as the invention of Confucius. When Confucius says he is merely a transmitter of the way, Mote doesn't seem take him seriously.
2.) Bias-Mote often likes to contrast Confucianism as a philosophy based on reason with monotheistic religion in the west which is irrational. Maybe there is a point here, but it is overstressed. Mote also likes to display his own elitism throughout the book, by contrasting the philosophy of the elites with the thought of the masses. He stresses the difference between philosophic Daoism and religious Daoism, making religious Daoism seems to be attractive only to the literal minded masses who take the mystic poetry of Laozi and Zhuuangzi literally. It is most obvious in his chapter on Mozi. He writes that Mozi "reeks of what we like to consider lower middle-class virtues" (78). His philosophy is throughly contempted. Taking material conditions seriously is considered foolish and Mote attempts to slander him by claiming Mozi was more interested in the mythical Xia dynasty than the Zhou dynasty and thus was a mystic authoritarian!
3.)Sources- I understand not wanting to include detailed notation in a book intended for intro history courses, but it would be more helpful if he could cite where certain ideas come from or where they can be found in the test discussed. For instance in his discussion of Chinese cosmology , it would be helpful what specific texts these ideas can be found in. He opens his discussion with a short section on the I Ching (mostly to say it is difficult to understand) and then discusses Chinese cosmology. So are these ideas from the I Ching, from another source, from a variety. He doesn't often give quotations either. When discussing say Mohism, he will just say this is what they believe instead of showing us what Mozi said himself.
December 2, 2023
A good, short read to introduce you to the ancient philosophical systems of China. Of course, nothing is in depth in this book with only 120 pages of text, but it gives the basic ideas of things like Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism.
May 31, 2022
Content: 3.5 stars.
Author/style: 2 stars.
Author/style: 2 stars.
June 4, 2023
A slim volume clearly designed to accompany a college course, with a good basic discussion of Confucian-era Chinese philosophy.
October 22, 2009
Very academic, but enlightening for me not knowing much beforehand (skip the intro chapter: heavy blah blah blah)
September 11, 2016
I picked this book up mainly for reference and occasional reading. My major in college was Asian
History - specifically China.
History - specifically China.
July 3, 2013
Enlightening!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews