This book explores the roots and very essence of the history of Chinese philosophy, offering English-speaking readers a unique, Chinese-context-based view on philosophy. The book gathers the author’s most representative academic papers, which address the history of Chinese philosophy at the macro, meso and micro level. Some chapters discuss more general concepts but are supported by very specific materials; others analyze a specific Chinese classic or school of thought but do so on the basis of a comprehensive grasp of the history of Chinese philosophy. The author presents the history of Chinese philosophy using a clear problem-awareness-based approach, which examines both the content and methodology of Chinese philosophy. The book also draws comparisons between Chinese and Western philosophy, with a special emphasis on the characteristics and uniqueness of Chinese philosophy. Further, it discusses how Chinese philosophy sees the world, life and being, including views and interpretations from Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The book brings English-speaking readers closer to Chinese classics, probes into major issues in Chinese philosophy and strives to provide readers with interpretations that are well-supported and well-reasoned. Accordingly, readers can discover fresh, innovative, and unique views on various schools of ancient philosophy.
