The Poetics of Early Chinese Thought: How the Shijing Shaped the Chinese Philosophical Tradition

The Shijing, or Classic of Poetry, is a crucial work in the formation of classical Chinese philosophy, according to Michael Hunter's book The Poetics of Early Chinese Thought. He reestablishes the Shijing as a significant work of intellectual history by interpreting its ideology and poetics in a fresh way. Hunter demonstrates how Shi poetry creates a vision of society united by the universal impulse to return home and immerses early thinkers in a world of movement and flow. He also shows how the Shi ideology influenced other sources of classical Chinese thought, recasting the tradition as a network centered on the Shijing.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The influence of classical Chinese thought on the modern imagination has long been dominated by figures such as Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, and the so-called "Masters" of the Warring States period. However, Michael Hunter argues that this approach neglects the significant role of poetry, particularly the Shijing (Classic of Poetry), in shaping the philosophical tradition. In his book, The Poetics of Early Chinese Thought, Hunter offers a fresh interpretation of the Shijing, reestablishing it as a work of major intellectual-historical significance.

Through a new reading of the Shijing's ideology and poetics, Hunter demonstrates how Shi poetry weaves a vision of society united at every level by the innate and universal impulse to come home. The Shi immersed early thinkers in a world of movement and flow, teaching them that the most powerful current of all was the gravitational pull of a virtuous king, without whom people could never truly feel at home. Hunter traces the profound influence of the Shi ideology across numerous sources of classical Chinese thought, recasting them as a network centered on the Shijing.

By reframing the tradition in this way, Hunter reveals how poetry shaped ancient Chinese thinkers' conception of the world and their place within it. This book offers both a sweeping critique of how classical Chinese thought is commonly understood and a powerful new way of studying it. It is a valuable contribution to the field of Chinese philosophy and intellectual history.

Weight: 634g
Dimension: 236 x 159 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231201223