Ancient China in Context
The Emergence of China:
From Confucius to the Empire
E Bruce Brooks and A Taeko Brooks

Emergence gives a brief overview of the Chinese classical period (the 05th through the 03rd centuries), its antecedents in earlier times, and its final result: the establishment of the Chinese unified Empire under the Chin Dynasty. Of many such surveys, only this one correctly dates the major texts, and reveals the interplay between them. Only this one gives attention to the contribution of the indigenous population of China, and to the influence of Indian and Greek cultures.

The Emergence of China contains more than 500 translated excerpts from the classical texts, linked by a running commentary which traces the evolution and interaction of the different schools of thought. The schools are shown in dialogue about issues from tax policy to the length of the mourning period for a parent. Some texts labor to establish the legal and political structures of the new state; others oppose its war orientation, or ridicule those who supported it. Here are the arguments of the Hundred Schools of classical thought, restored to life and vividly presented.

A preliminary version of The Emergence of China was extensively classroom-tested. Students were especially taken with the Methodological Moments, which do not give conclusions, but show how one reaches conclusions, about texts or events in the past. Many suggestions of teachers and students are incorporated in the final reader-friendly version.

There are six topical chapters, each treating a major subject in chronological order, framed by a preliminary background chapter and a concluding survey of the Empire. This arrangemnet permits the book to be used either as the basis for a semester on early China, or for a unit within a more general China course, or simply as a resource for personal acqaintance. Occasional footnotes point to historical parallels in Greece, Rome, the Ancient Near East, and the mediaeval-to-modern transition in Europe, which at many points the Chinese classical period resembles. At the back of the book are a guide to Chinese romanizations, a list of passages translated, and a subject index.

We here offer some Methodological Moments and other passages as previews.

Contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Preface
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Antiquity
• The Myth of Gwan Jung, p32; Methodological Moment #3
• Confucius' Father, p35-37
• Chapter 2: The Economy
• The Land Tax, p40-41
• Universal Sovereignty p45-46; Methodological Moments #4-5
• Agrarian Primitivism, p61-62
• Chapter 3: The State
• Philosophical Interactions, p74
• Concepts of Change, p84-85
• Philosophies of Law, p86-89
• Chapter 4: War
• A Plan for Peace, p94-97
• Defense, p119-120
• Chapter 5: The Civilian Elite
• Recruitment, p134
• From Wisdom to Philosophy, p138
• The Rival Schools, p146-148
• Chapter 6: The People
• Populism, the people's right of criticism, p157-158
• Non-Sinitic Persons, p159-161; Methodological Moment #17
• The Human Nature Debate, p172-176
• Chapter 7: Transcendence
• Indian Origins, p184-187
• Deep Reality, p195-196; Methodological Moment #20
• Philosophical Resignation, p198-203
• The Limits of Transcendence, p208
• Chapter 8: The Empire
• The Question of Feudalism, p212-213
• The Brief Resurgence of Chu, p230-234
• End Matter
• Major Events
• Text Chronology
• Romanization Table
• Works Cited
• Passages Translated
• Subject Index
• Back Cover

 

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