Table of Contents

1.: An Introduction with Work to Do
2.: The Context of Chinese Philosophy: Language and Theory of Language
Part I The Positive Dao Period
3.: Confucius: The Baseline
4.: Mozi: Setting the Philosophical Agenda
Part II The Antilanguage Period
5.: Mencius: The Establishment Strikes Back
6.: Laozi: Language and Society
Part III The Analytic Period
7.: The School of Names: Linguistic Analysis in China
8.: Zhuangzi: Discriminating about Discriminating
Part IV The Authoritarian Response
9.: Xunzi: Pragmatic Confucianism
10.: Han Feizi: The Ruler's Interpretation
Notes:
Glossary of Chinese Characters:
Bibliography:
Index:

Reviews

"Hansen contributes a much-needed re-assessment of Chinese philosophy....Hansen is refreshingly revisionist as his hermeneutic lays waste to such misconceptions as "THE Tao," transcendence, and unsayableness associated with dao-ism, as well as fundamental misconceptions about Chinese language and thought....His twin fortes are an almost surgical, positivist linguistic precision, cutting away at fat and exposing the bare bones, plus a holistic
approach....Overall, the author's polysemous grasp of Chinese history makes his magnum opus an interdisciplinary resource, sure to be of interest to all students and scholars of comparative literature,
philosophy/religion, and intellectual history."--China News Digest
"The time is ripe for this sort of wide-ranging reappraisal. I believe the book will be a major factor in setting the tone and parameters of the debate for the next decade."--Victor Mair, University of Pennsylvania
"Hansen's book is challenging and engages the reader in a direct and personal way. In addition to language and skepticism there are many topics woven into the fabric of the book which will also engage the reader."--Canadian Philosophical Reviews
"A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought is a bold book by an intellectually ambitious and always original author."--Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
"Hansen contributes a much-needed re-assessment of Chinese philosophy....Hansen is refreshingly revisionist as his hermeneutic lays waste to such misconceptions as "THE Tao," transcendence, and unsayableness associated with dao-ism, as well as fundamental misconceptions about Chinese language and thought....His twin fortes are an almost surgical, positivist linguistic precision, cutting away at fat and exposing the bare bones, plus a holistic
approach....Overall, the author's polysemous grasp of Chinese history makes his magnum opus an interdisciplinary resource, sure to be of interest to all students and scholars of comparative literature,
philosophy/religion, and intellectual history."--China News Digest
"The time is ripe for this sort of wide-ranging reappraisal. I believe the book will be a major factor in setting the tone and parameters of the debate for the next decade."--Victor Mair, University of Pennsylvania
"Hansen's book is challenging and engages the reader in a direct and personal way. In addition to language and skepticism there are many topics woven into the fabric of the book which will also engage the reader."--Canadian Philosophical Reviews
"A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought is a bold book by an intellectually ambitious and always original author."--Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies