The philosophical letters of Wang Yang-ming

Abstract

Wang Yang-ming (1472-1529) was a Neo-Confucian philosopher of the Ming Era, whose thoughts have had a profound influence in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. But, although there has been a wealth of material published in Chinese and Japanese on his life and philosophy, the English-language world has only two previous translations of Wang Yang-ming{u2019}s selected writings. This translation contains sixty-seven letters, thirty-one more than previously translated, which help reveal the philosophy of the great Chinese thinker. Included are a preface with background information, critical annotations and references, bibliography, and a glossary of Chinese and Japanese words. The book is an important contribution to the literature of Chinese philosophy, knowledge of which assists our understanding of China yesterday and today. Show more