Chinese history and culture. Volume 1, Sixth century B.C.E. to seventeenth century / Ying-shih Yü; with the editorial assistance of Josephine Chiu-Duke and Michael S. Duke.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The recipient of the Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the humanities and the Tang Prize for "revolutionary research" in Sinology, Ying-shih Yü is a premier scholar of Chinese studies. Chinese History and Culture volumes 1 and 2 bring his extraordinary oeuvre to English-speaking readers. Spanning two thousand years of social, intellectual, and political change, the essays in these volumes investigate two central questions through all aspects of Chinese life: what core values sustained this ancient civilization through centuries of upheaval, and in what ways did these values survive in modern times?

From Yü Ying-shih's perspective, the Dao, or the Way, constitutes the inner core of Chinese civilization. His work explores the unique dynamics between Chinese intellectuals' discourse on the Dao , or moral principles for a symbolized ideal world order, and their criticism of contemporary reality throughout Chinese history. Volume 1 of Chinese History and Culture explores how the Dao was reformulated, expanded, defended, and preserved by Chinese intellectuals up to the seventeenth century, guiding them through history's darkest turns. Essays incorporate the evolving conception of the soul and the afterlife in pre- and post-Buddhist China, the significance of eating practices and social etiquette, the move toward greater individualism, the rise of the Neo-Daoist movement, the spread of Confucian ethics, and the growth of merchant culture and capitalism. A true panorama of Chinese culture's continuities and transition, Yü Ying-shih's two-volume Chinese History and Culture gives readers of all backgrounds a unique education in the meaning of Chinese civilization.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Yü Ying-shih is a milestone figure in the field of Chinese intellectual and cultural history. This two-volume collection documents his intellectual journey over the course of half a century. With the assistance of coeditors Josephine Chiu-Duke and Michael Duke (both, Univ. of British Columbia), Yü selected a little over 30 of the most representative articles of his past English-language publications as well as the addresses that he delivered on receiving the Kluge Prize and the Tang Prize in Sinology. Organized in a chronological order that corresponds to historical events from the sixth century BCE through the 20th century, these articles discuss a wide range of issues in Chinese culture, history, religion, society, and thought, such as ancient concepts of the afterlife, the evolution of culinary arts, and cultural roots of political ideologies. Two themes gradually emerge from both volumes in an interconnected way: the formation of Chinese tradition and its historical changes. In particular, Yü's discussion of Neo-Confucianism's influence on radical movements in the 20th century is an example of the way in which the author debunks the dichotomy of tradition and modernity in China's ever-evolving culture. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General collections, and upper-division undergraduates and above. --Xin Fan, State University of New York at Fredonia