Ancient and Early Imperial Chinese Philosophy

Across a set of three volumes spanning more than three thousand years, this is a survey of thinkers central to the development of philosophical thought in China. The first volume offers a new narrative of the early development of Chinese philosophy prior to the introduction of Buddhism. It discusses the multiple origins of Chinese thought, key thinkers and writings of the classical period, and the formation of early imperial philosophy during the Han dynasty period. This book uncovers ancient Chinese women philosophers and independent Han thinkers, ancient philosophies of economy and of literature, Chinese political realism and millenarianism, as well as the philosophy of the excavated bamboo manuscripts, thereby filling numerous gaps in the existing histories of classical Chinese philosophy.