The Intellectual Foundations of China [Paperback]

Frederick W Mote (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1988 | ISBN-10: 0075540304 | ISBN-13: 978-0075540304 | Edition: 2

This brief paperback introduction to the basic ideas that underlie traditional Chinese culture focuses on the "Golden Age" (600 B.C.-150 B.C.) of Chinese philosophy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 2 edition (September 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0075540304
• ISBN-13: 978-0075540304
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,224,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent framework to begin study of Chinese philosophy, October 16, 2003

By 

William L. Devanney (Menlo Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Intellectual Foundations of China (Paperback)

Dr. Mote's monograph outlines the foundations of Chinese thought from Confucius (551-479 BC) through the bureaucratic innovations of the first dynasty (the Ch'in, 221-206 BC). The book covers early Chinese cosmology, Confucianism and its derivative schools, Taoism, Mohism, and the pragmatic successes of history's first totalitarian government -- the Ch'in State. It does not attempt to cover later influences such as Buddhism.

The actual text is short (114 pages) so Dr. Mote must use a concise (and occasionally dense) style to cover all this ground. When the reader finishes this book he is rewarded with an introductory understanding of each of these philosophies, how they developed, and how they influenced each other. An excellent jumping-off point for further studies. (Uses Wade-Giles and earlier romanizations).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior overlook, March 7, 2011

By 

Allan Blackwell (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Intellectual Foundations of China (Paperback)

This little book always brings rewards with each reading. Just this week, I was rather moved by Mote's words about Confucius, and how the man himself seems to have stayed human and real, despite the uses, misuses, distortions, etc. about him over millennia. Anyway, the book is one of the best tours of the Chinese intellectual horizon that I have ever read.