Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy

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1. franksvalliSep 2023
   Trying Not To Try by Slingerland is a great accessible introduction to the different modes of Chinese philosophy, and the two approaches to Daoism by Laozi and Zhuangzi are discussed.

   For more depth I highly recommend Van Norden's Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. I took a course that used this book as its text and it was really life changing and made me hopeful that there are some more practical philosophies out there for us.

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2. harshrealityJul 2019
   I think that curated list focuses too heavily on modern philosophy. Does Lacan even belong? Kierkegaard is Christian philosophy, which I don't think belongs in a list of general philosophy resources, except as case studies for spotting logical faults and wishful thinking.

   Listing Foucault, but not David Hume, says a lot.

   A few surveys would probably be more valuable than trying to slog through most of the primary sources of philosophy.

   - Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy

   - A.C. Grayling, The History of Philosophy

   - Anthony Kenny, New History of Western Philosophy (4 volumes but also published as a combined single volume ebook)

   - Adam Peterson, A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps (3 volumes, 4 later this year, also a podcast[1])

   - Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy

   A common sentiment is that Bertrand Russell is too biased in his presentation, but his survey was a popular classic for many years.

   Perhaps also a supplement specific to eastern philosophy, like van Norden, An Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy?

   [1] https://historyofphilosophy.net/all-episodes

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3. dorchadasAug 2023
   Sadly the Tao of Pooh does not outline the basic tenets of Daoism. As van Norden says in the chapter on the Daodejing in his Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy:

   > The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff ... is a charming work that has attained a wide readership. There is nothing wrong with enjoying it for itself. But it reveals much more about how the Daodejing as been appropriated to illustrate Western Romanticism than it does about the Daodejing itself. (See later in this section for more on Romanticism).

   and, later on, here's what he has to say about the appropriation of the Daodejing and Daoism for Romanticism:

   > We see a similar trend in the West. In particular, contemporary Westerners often project onto the Daodejing the assumptions of Romanticism. In reaction against the emphasis on reason that was characteristic of the Enlightenment, Romanticism championed the importance and wisdom of one's passions. But the dichotomy of reason and passion is Western, not Chinese, and the individualism characteristic in some forms of Romanticism is quite alien to the Daodejing. Consequently, we should be on the lookout for how Romantic preconceptions can distort our appreciation of the text.

   Sadly, there's not many good non-academic introductions to Daoism out there, and the most popular translation - Stephen Mitchell's - was done by someone who can't even read Classical Chinese, but thought his Zen teaching was a 'good enough' guide to allow him to translate it.

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   All this is to say I'm glad the book worked for you, and helped you find peace. It's just not Daoism (nor is Alan Watts!)

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4. vlehtoMay 2016
   They wish to include non-European traditions of philosophy into academic philosophy.

   "Jay L. Garfield is - - the author of “Engaging Buddhism: Why It Matters to Philosophy.” Bryan W. Van Norden is -- the author of “Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy.”"

   "Give us more money. We like money."

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