Sources of East Asian Tradition: Premodern Asia

by Wm. Theodore De Bary

Overview

In Sources of East Asian Tradition, Wm. Theodore de Bary offers a selection of essential readings from his immensely popular anthologies Sources of Chinese Tradition, Sources of Korean Tradition, and Sources of Japanese Tradition so readers can experience a concise but no less comprehensive portrait of the social, intellectual, and religious traditions of East Asia. Volume 1 samples writings from the earliest times to 1600, illuminating life in early China and the first imperial age, as well as the profound impact of Daoism, Buddhism, the Confucian revival, and Neo-Confucianism; the origins of Korean culture and political structures, up through the Choson dynasty; and major developments in early and medieval Japan. De Bary maintains his trademark balance of source materials, including seminal readings in the areas of history, society, politics, education, philosophy, and religion, thereby continuing his own tradition of providing an exceptional resource for teachers, scholars, students, and the general reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231143042
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2008
Series:	Introduction to Asian Civilizations
Pages:	936
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Wm. Theodore de Bary (1919–2017) was John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus and provost emeritus of Columbia University. His many books include Waiting for the Dawn, Message of the Mind, and Learning for One’s Self, as well as Sources of Japanese Tradition and Sources of Korean Tradition, all published by Columbia University Press.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Traditional China
Explanatory Note
Contributors
Chronology
1. The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty, by David N. Keightley
2. Classical Sources of Chinese Tradition, by Burton Watson, David S. Nivison, Irene Bloom
3. Confucius and the Analects, by Irene Bloom
4. Mozi: Utility, Uniformity, and Universal Love, by Burton Watson
5. The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi
6. The Evolution of the Confucian Tradition in Antiquity
7. Legalists and Militarists
8. The Han Reaction to Qin Absolutism
9. Syncretic Visions of State, Society, and Cosmos, by Harold Roth, Sarah Queen, Nathan Sivin
10. The Imperial Order and Han Syntheses
11. The Economic Order, by Burton Watson
12. The Great Han Historians, by Burton Watson
13. Learning of the Mysterious, by Richard John Lynn, Wing-Tsit Chan
14. Daoist Religion, by Nathan Sivin, Kristofer Schipper
15. The Introduction of Buddhism, by Leon Hurvitz, Tsai Heng-Ting
16. Schools of Buddhist Doctrine, by Leon Hurvitz, Burton Watson, Daniel Stevenson, George Tanabe, Wing-Tsit Chan
17. Schools of Buddhist Practice, by Leon Hurvitz, Daniel Stevenson, Philip B. Yampolsky, Chün-Fang Yü
18. Social Life and Political Culture in the Tang
19. The Confucian Revival in the Song, by Wm. Theodore de Bary
20. Neo-Confucianism: The Philosophy of Human Nature and the Way of the Sage
21. Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian Program, by Wm. Theodore de Bary
22. Ideological Foundations of Late Imperial China, by Wm. Theodore de Bary, Edward Farmer, John Dardess
23. Neo-Confucian Education, by Wm. Theodore de Bary
24. Self and Society in the Ming
Part II. Traditional Korea
Explanatory Note
Contributors
Chronology
25. Origins of Korean Culture
26. The Rise of the Three Kingdoms
27. The Introduction of Buddhism
28. Consolidation of the State
29. The Rise of Buddhism
30. Local Clans and the Rise of the Meditation School
31. Early Koryo˘ Political Structure
32. Military Rule and Late Koryo˘ Reform
33. Buddhism: The Ch'0˘nt'ae and Chogye Schools
34. Neo-Confucianism
35. Political Thought in Early Choso˘n
36. Culture
37. Social Life
38. Economy
39. Thought
40. Buddhism
Part III. Traditional Japan
Explanatory Note
Contributors
Chronology
41. The Earliest Records of Japan
42. Early Shinto
43. Prince Shōtoku and His Constitution
44. Chinese Thought and Institutions in Early Japan
45. Nara Buddhism
46. Saichō and Mount Hiei, by Ryusaku Tsunoda, Paul Groner
47. Kūkai and Esoteric Buddhism
48. Amida, the Pure Land, and the Response of the
Old Buddhism to the New
49. New Views of History, by Paul Varley
50. The Way of the Warrior, by Paul Varley
51. Nichiren: The Sun and the Lotus, by Philip B. Yampolsky
52. Zen Buddhism, by William Bodiford
53. Shinto in Medieval Japan
54. The Vocabulary of Japanese Aesthetics
55. Women's Education
56. Law and Precepts for the Warrior Houses, by Paul Varley
57. The Regime of the Unifiers, by Jurgis S. A. Elisonas
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

The selections are excellent, translations faithful and elegant, and introductions terse and to the point. If I were asked to recommend only one book for anyone who wishes to know something about Chinese culture, I would name, without a moment of hesitation, Sources of Chinese Tradition.

Ying-shih Yu

[Sources of Korean Tradition provides] a unique view of Korean history via the eyes and words of the participants and/or witnesses themselves. Official documents, letters, policies and personal opinions written by the people who helped make Korea, reveal the Korea that most outsiders would never know.

Korean Quarterly

This title is recommended for academic libraries for their history and Asian collections.

Kay M. Stebbinsn Reference Books Annual

This title is recommended for academic libraries for their history and Asian collections.

American Reference Books Annual - Kay M. Stebbins

This title is recommended for academic libraries for their history and Asian collections.

— Kay M. Stebbins

American Reference Books Annual

Sources of Japanese Tradition has proved to be invaluable to the study of Japanese history and culture. Its publication is welcome news to teachers and students of Japanese civilization and all those who are interested in the origins of contemporary Japanese society and culture.

Akira Iriye