Reading Ji Kang's Essays: Xuanxue in Early Medieval China

By David Chai

Book Overview

This is the first English-language book on the philosophy of Ji Kang. Moreover, it offers the first systematic treatment of his philosophy, thus filling a significant gap in English-language scholarship on early medieval Chinese literature and philosophy.

David Chai brings to light Ji Kang's Neo-Daoist heritage and explores the themes in his writings that were derived from classical Daoism, most notably the need for humanity to return to a more harmonious co-existence with Nature to further our own self-understanding. His analysis is unique in that it balances translation and annotation with expositing the creative philosophizing of Neo-Daoism. Chai analyzes the entirety of Ji Kang's essays, exploring his philosophical reflections on music, aesthetics, ethics, self-cultivation, and fate.

Reading Ji Kang/s Essays will be of interest to scholars and students of Chinese philosophy and literature. It offers the first comprehensive philosophical examination of a heretofore neglected figure in Neo-Daoism.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0367353636
• ISBN13: 9780367353636
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"