For a Kinder, Gentler Society
Ancient China: An Ethic History
  • Michael Elson
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Ancient China: An Ethic History.
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This historical research revolutionizes the current outlook on Chinese culture in general and ancient Chinese culture in particular. The book should command the thoughtful attention of everyone who is interested in China, including professors, graduate students, and undergraduates, whatever their specialties.

Drawing analogies from the Judeo-Christian tradition, the book corrects false accounts of cardinal importance, clarifying keynote events which exercise enduring influence upon Chinese minds, which inform, guide, and control the minds of modern Chinese people.


About the Author

Author of five earlier books and numerous articles, Michael Elson writes extensively on Chinese literature, history, philosophy, religion, and culture spanning antiquity to modernity. His latest book is The Ethics of Confucius. Cambridge, NK: Ethics International Press, 2022.

Dr. Elson earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers University in Comparative Literature.  After teaching at The College of William and Mary and at The Pennsylvania State University, he was named Director of the Research Center for Languages and Literatures and Chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages at National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. He now teaches at Baylor University, Texas.

In the current academic world, Dr. Elson may be the one scholar best equipped with the necessary expertise to analyze and explain the complex subject matter discussed in this book.

About the Book
Prof. Michael Elson, an expert in ancient Chinese literature and philosophy, explores the roots of ethical thought in China and their impact on contemporary attitudes. He discusses philosophers including Xunzi Mencius and …, and in particular he...
Prof. Michael Elson, an expert in ancient Chinese literature and philosophy, explores the roots of ethical thought in China and their impact on contemporary attitudes. He discusses philosophers including Xunzi Mencius and …, and in particular he contrasts the egoistic ideas of Confucius with the altruistic philosophy of Mozi, highlighting parallels between Mozi's teachings and those found in the Old and New Testaments.

Prof. Elson identifies key turning points in the development of ethical culture in China, such as when the Duke of Zhou established a new set of rites that consolidated power in favor of the King. That set the stage for a more autocratic kingdom that influenced later rulers, up to today. He explains how Confucius’ thought is both a reflection of and a commentary on the kinship-based autocratic system created by the Duke of Zhou.

In the search for the universal values of freedom and equality, modern Chinese scholars have often misconstrued the relationship between these ideals and ancient Chinese traditions. Prof. Elson rigorously examines ancient texts and points out apparent misinterpretations of specific characters that appear to have misled scholars over time.

This book, Ancient China: An Ethic History, presents an analytical account of significant events, influential figures, and enduring beliefs in ancient Chinese history. It highlights the ongoing struggle between two contrasting ethical discourses in Chinese culture and their lasting influence on the Chinese mindset. Understanding this crucial part of Chinese history is essential for accurately interpreting the Chinese mentality.

By drawing analogies from Western culture, particularly the Judeo-Christian tradition, and challenging ingrained misconceptions about Chinese culture, this research offers a transformative perspective on both ancient and contemporary Chinese society.

The book addresses both general readers and specialists, aiming to enlighten all educated individuals. It is also intended as a textbook for high schools, colleges, and graduate programs.

 


More . . .

All contemporary scholarship on a similar subject, when compared with this book, pales in significance. Originality, uniqueness, and precision distinguish this book from the other studies in the field, which are by and large a rehash of dated clichés. The obsolete information the aforesaid books furnish is sometimes regurgitated in such a fashion that the same error recurs uniformly in all of them.

These errors concern not only interpretations but also facts. For example, J. A. G....

All contemporary scholarship on a similar subject, when compared with this book, pales in significance. Originality, uniqueness, and precision distinguish this book from the other studies in the field, which are by and large a rehash of dated clichés. The obsolete information the aforesaid books furnish is sometimes regurgitated in such a fashion that the same error recurs uniformly in all of them.

These errors concern not only interpretations but also facts. For example, J. A. G. Roberts’ A Concise History of China (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999), Michael Lowe and Edward Shaughnessy’s The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), David Curtis Wright’s The History of China (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2011), and Morris Rossabi’s History of China (Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley Blackwell, 2014).


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Pages 228
Year: 2024
BISAC: HIS008000     HISTORY / Asia / China
BISAC: PHI003000 PHILOSOPHY / Eastern
Soft Cover
ISBN: 978-1-62894-530-0
Hard Cover
ISBN: 978-1-62894-531-7
eBook
ISBN: 978-1-62894-532-4

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