About the book
This book maintains that early Chinese philosophers, whatever their philosophical school, assumed common principles informed the natural and human worlds and that one could understand the nature of man by studying the principles which govern nature. Accordingly, the natural world rather than a religious tradition provided the root metaphors of early Chinese thought. Sarah Allan examines the concrete imagery, most importantly water and plant life, which served as a model for the most fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy including such ideas as dao, the \"way,\" de, \"virtue\" or \"potency,\" xin, the \"mind/heart,\" xing, \"nature,\" and qi, \"vital energy.\" Water, with its extraordinarily rich capacity for generating imagery, provided the primary model for conceptualizing general cosmic principles while plants provided a model for the continuous sequence of generation, growth, reproduction, and death and were the basis for the Chinese understanding of the nature of man in both religion and philosophy.
Editions of The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780791433850
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780791433867
- PDF
- ISBN 9780791494509
Read an Excerpt
This book maintains that early Chinese philosophers, whatever their philosophical school, assumed common principles informed the natural and human worlds and that one could understand the nature of man by studying the principles which govern nature. Accordingly, the natural world rather than a religious tradition provided the root metaphors of early Chinese thought. Sarah Allan examines the concrete imagery, most importantly water and plant life, which served as a model for the most fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy including such ideas as dao, the \"way,\" de, \"virtue\" or \"potency,\" xin, the \"mind/heart,\" xing, \"nature,\" and qi, \"vital energy.\" Water, with its extraordinarily rich capacity for generating imagery, provided the primary model for conceptualizing general cosmic principles while plants provided a model for the continuous sequence of generation, growth, reproduction, and death and were the basis for the Chinese understanding of the nature of man in both religion and philosophy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue about?
This book maintains that early Chinese philosophers, whatever their philosophical school, assumed common principles informed the natural and human worlds and that one could understand the nature of man by studying the principles which govern nature. Accordingly, the natural world rather than a religious tradition provided the root metaphors of early Chinese thought. Sarah Allan examines the concrete imagery, most importantly water and plant life, which served as a model for the most fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy including such ideas as dao, the \"way,\" de, \"virtue\" or \"potency,\" xin, the \"mind/heart,\" xing, \"nature,\" and qi, \"vital energy.\" Water, with its extraordinarily rich capacity for generating imagery, provided the primary model for conceptualizing general cosmic principles while plants provided a model for the continuous sequence of generation, growth, reproduction, and death and were the basis for the Chinese understanding of the nature of man in both religion and philosophy.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue?
History and Archaeology > History > Asian history
Where can I read a sample of The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780791433850
How long is The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue and how many pages does it have?
The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue has 196 page(s)
Is The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue?
Sarah Allan
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780791433850) and paperback(ISBN 9780791433867) and pdf(ISBN 9780791494509)
Where can I buy The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue?