About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherBloomsbury Publishing USA

ISBN-101442257415

ISBN-139781442257412

eBay Product ID (ePID)215916611

Product Key Features

Number of Pages190 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameConfucius : the Man and the Way of Gongfu

Publication Year2016

SubjectMartial Arts & Self-Defense, Eastern, Confucianism

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaReligion, Philosophy, Sports & Recreation

AuthorPeimin Ni

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in

Item Weight14.3 Oz

Item Length9.3 in

Item Width6.2 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

LCCN2015-034326

ReviewsThe book is a thoughtful and inspiring presentation of Confucianism as arguably the longest and most influential ethical and spiritual traditions in human history. It is highly readable with many insightful observations. Especially noteworthy is its emphasis on self-cultivation, spiritual exercises, and learning of the heart-and-mind as essential features of Confucian humanism in the 21st century., In this thematic, well-written portrait, Confucius is less an authoritarian, ultra-stern traditionalist concerned with squeezing everything into a rigid theoretical role and ritual structure and more a thoughtful guide to each individual's unique spiritual and ethical life, a life in which ritual and role mostly set the table for a life ending in mastery, or gongfu. Ni's emphasis on a truly important side of Confucius's philosophy is interesting, and he offers some thoughtful, innovative takes on Confucius's philosophy. This approach also allows the author to defend Confucius from common criticisms and even allows opposing later Confucians Mencius and Xunzi. Focusing on gongfu helps keep individuals from reducing Confucian thought into their own deontological/consequentialist principle-oriented frameworks.... [T]his is an interesting text with insightful passages and challenging interpretations worth pondering.Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals., Peimin Ni's eloquent new book is an ideal introduction to Confucius and Confucianism. The book ranges from early stories to modern history, but is centered throughout on the Analects, our best source for Confucius's teachings. Professor Ni gives us a sympathetic and engaging treatment of Confucius as person, thinker, and teacher, and makes clear why Confucius's values, life story, and ideas have been so inspiring., In this remarkable book, Peimin Ni presents a systematic interpretation of Confucius from a gongfu perspective and invites readers to appreciate the Confucian ethical life in artistic, rather than theoretical, terms. Thus understood, Confucius's teachings ultimately are aimed not at setting up moral principles and rules to constrain people, but at providing guidance to enable people to lead the good life. This book provides readers a refreshing view of Confucius and his philosophy. It makes an excellent reading for scholarly exploration as well as in the classroom., Ni Peimin's book shifts attention from considering Confucius as a theorist to reading him as a guide to the art of living, or to life as an aesthetic endeavor. Confucius is masterfully constructed as an interrelated whole, while at the same time, parts can be selected for discussion or a short read, without a need to link them to other parts. The sections are accurate in their biographical and historical details, while teaching that art of living. In both music and society, harmony works longer if it is a blend of differing voices than if it is the conformity of all instruments or voices sounding (thinking) the same. There is harmony in variety. In the section on secular immortality, Confucius and Ni ask us to consider one kind of immortality as the lasting impact of virtuous exemplars, whom they describe, on their communities and larger social groups. Throughout the book there are insightful comparisons with relevant Western figures. For example, the goal of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was to learn "What should I believe is true?" The Confucian goal was to learn "how to live one's life in this world.", In this thematic, well-written portrait, Confucius is less an authoritarian, ultra-stern traditionalist concerned with squeezing everything into a rigid theoretical role and ritual structure and more a thoughtful guide to each individual's unique spiritual and ethical life, a life in which ritual and role mostly set the table for a life ending in mastery, or gongfu. Ni's emphasis on a truly important side of Confucius's philosophy is interesting, and he offers some thoughtful, innovative takes on Confucius's philosophy. This approach also allows the author to defend Confucius from common criticisms and even allows opposing later Confucians Mencius and Xunzi. Focusing on gongfu helps keep individuals from reducing Confucian thought into their own deontological/consequentialist principle-oriented frameworks.... [T]his is an interesting text with insightful passages and challenging interpretations worth pondering. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals., Peimin Ni has provided a portrait of Confucius that makes him more complex and also more human than he generally is presented as being., Ni Peimin's book shifts attention from considering Confucius as a theorist to reading him as a guide to the art of living, or to life as an aesthetic endeavor. Confucius is masterfully constructed as an interrelated whole, while at the same time, parts can be selected for discussion or a short read, without a need to link them to other parts. The sections are accurate in their biographical and historical details, while teaching that art of living. In both music and society, harmony works longer if it is a blend of differing voices than if it is the conformity of all instruments or voices sounding (thinking) the same. There is harmony in variety. In the section on secular immortality, Confucius and Ni ask us to consider one kind of immortality as the lasting impact of virtuous exemplars, whom they describe, on their communities and larger social groups. Throughout the book there are insightful comparisons with relevant Western figures. For example, the goal of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one's life in this world.', There is no shortage of introductory books on Confucius. What makes Ni's book outstanding is, as its subtitle shows, that it takes a gongfu approach, not in the sense that it presents Confucius as a martial artists with wonderful skills of fighting. Rather, it pictures Confucius as one of the greatest Chinese philosophers, if not the greatest one, who, instead of interested in solving profound intellectual riddles, is good at teaching his students the simple art of living a life that is authentically human. Confucius: The Man and the Way of Gongfu is simply the best of the kind., "Ni Peimin's book shifts attention from considering Confucius as a theorist to reading him as a guide to the art of living, or to life as an aesthetic endeavor. Confucius is masterfully constructed as an interrelated whole, while at the same time, parts can be selected for discussion or a short read, without a need to link them to other parts. The sections are accurate in their biographical and historical details, while teaching that art of living. In both music and society, harmony works longer if it is a blend of differing voices than if it is the conformity of all instruments or voices sounding (thinking) the same. There is harmony in variety. In the section on secular immortality, Confucius and Ni ask us to consider one kind of immortality as the lasting impact of virtuous exemplars, whom they describe, on their communities and larger social groups. Throughout the book there are insightful comparisons with relevant Western figures. For example, the goal of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one's life in this world.'"-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one's life in this world.'"-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one's life in this world.'"-1610) was to learn 'What should I believe is true?' The Confucian goal was to learn 'how to live one's life in this world.'"

Dewey Edition23

Grade FromCollege Freshman

Grade ToCollege Graduate Student

Dewey Decimal181/.112

Table Of ContentPreface Chronology Chapter I. Confucius as a Historical Figure Long, Long Ago, There Was a Time A Man from a Humble Background The Life Story Continues ... The Second Epoch New Challenges and the Third Epoch Chapter II. Confucius as a Spiritual Leader A Wooden Bell-Clapper Humans are Part of Heaven Mandate and Destiny Immortality and the Meaning of Life Inter-religiosity Chapter III. Confucius as a Philosopher One Cannot Be Fully a Human in Solitude Born to Become a Human What Makes A Vessel Sacred? Naming Means Illuminating Hit the Mark Constantly Chapter IV. Confucius as a Political Reformer Ideal Society--Harmony and Holism Sageliness Within and Kingliness Without Names and Rituals as Political Devices The Freedom of Needing No Choice Uprightness and Justice Chapter V. Confucius as an Educator The Kind of Education Six Arts Learning, Thinking, and Embodiment Method of Education Chapter VI. Confucius as a Person The "ZENG Dian Spirit" Elitist? Sexist? Honesty and Sincerity After All, the Master Is a Human Bibliography Index of Quotes from the Analects Index of Names and Subjects

SynopsisThrough a systematic introduction of Confucius as a historical figure, a spiritual leader, a philosopher, a political reformer, an educator, and a person, this book offers a comprehensive, lucid, and in-depth articulation of Confucius and his teachings for Western students. It explains how his ideas are different from their Western counterparts as well as challenging the orthodox Western understandings of Confucianism. The book reveals clearly how Confucius's insights can be a rich resource for addressing contemporary problems and re-enchanting the world and the contemporary life., Through a systematic introduction of Confucius as a historical figure, a spiritual leader, a philosopher, a political reformer, an educator, and a person, this book offers a comprehensive, lucid, and in-depth articulation of Confucius and his teachings for Western students.

LC Classification NumberB128.C8N477 2016

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Confucius : The Man and the Way of Gongfu by Peimin Ni (2016, Hardcover)

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