Daoism in Early China: Huang-Lao Thought in Light of Excavated Texts

Description

This text considers the prevalence of Lao-Zhuang Daoism and Huang-Lao Daoism in late pre-imperial and early imperial Chinese traditional thought. The author uses unique excavated documents and literature to explore the Huang-Lao tradition of Daoist philosophy, which exerted a great influence on China ancient philosophy and political theories, from the Pre-Qin period to the Wei-Jin periods. It explains the original and significance of Huang-Lao Daoism, its history and fundamental characteristics, notably discussing the two sides of Huang-Lao, namely the role and function of Lao Zi and the Yellow Emperor, and discusses why the two can constitute a complementary relationship. It also provides a key study of the Mawangdui silk texts, bamboo slips of the Heng Xian, Fan Wu Liu Xing, considering both the theory of human Xing and of Qi. Front Matter ....Pages i-x Introduction: On the Huang-Lao Tradition of Daoist Thought (Feng Cao)....Pages 1-27 Huang-Lao Daoism Research in Light of Excavated Texts (Feng Cao)....Pages 29-51 Huang-Lao Thought and Folk Techniques and Calculations: Using Clues from Excavated Texts (Feng Cao)....Pages 53-86 The Literary Structure and Characteristics of the Thought in the Bamboo Manuscript Known as All Things Flow into Forms (Fanwu Liuxing) (Feng Cao)....Pages 87-123 From Auto-Creation to Autonomy: An Analysis of Political Philosophy in the Hengxian (Feng Cao)....Pages 125-154 The Idea of Names or Naming as One of the Key Concepts in the Huangdi Sijing: Discussing the Relationship Between the Concepts of the Schools of Dao, Names and Legality (Feng Cao)....Pages 155-206 Back Matter ....Pages 207-227