That bad things happen to good people was as true in early China as it is today. Franklin Perkins uses this observation as the thread by which to trace the effort by Chinese thinkers of the Warring States Period (c.475-221 BCE), a time of great conflict and division, to seek reconciliation between humankind and the world. Perkins provides rich new readings of classical Chinese texts and reflects on their significance for Western philosophical discourse.

Human flourishing and the limits of heaven and earth

About the Author

Franklin Perkins is Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University. He is author of Leibniz and China: A Commerce of Light and Leibniz: A Guide for the Perplexed.

Reviews

[T]his book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of early Chinese philosophy.

* Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *

[This] book deserves to be read by students of Chinese philosophy . . . . 5.1 Jan. 2015

* Heythrop Journal *

[This] is a genuine contribution to the field of Chinese philosophy. By engaging in a kind of 'rooted global philosophy,' Franklin Perkins addresses issues inherent to early Chinese texts in a way that renders them meaningful for contemporary philosophers. Perkins facilitates a cross-cultural dialogue between those in early China and those concerned with the problem of evil in European history. In doing this, Perkins not only demonstrates a grasp of the major primary texts and the relevant secondary literature, but he also demonstrates a breadth of knowledge that extends into conemporary Chinese thought, as well as into recently unearthed Chinese manuscripts and countless figures in the Western philosophical tradition.

* Frontiers of Philosophy in China *

It is clear that the discussions in Heaven and Earth will have a major impact on scholarship in the field. While ostensibly about good and evil, its investigations traverse a range of areas including Chinese intellectual history, philosophy, ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of action, and political philosophy.

* Dao: Journal of Comparative Philosophy *

The problem of evil . . . is a stimulating and challenging philosophical issue from which one can develop an inspiring comparative analysis that can benefit both Western and Chinese philosophy. This is exactly what Perkins does in this book.

* Philosophy East and West *

[T]his is an outstanding book that no one who is seriously interested in classical Chinese thought can afford to ignore.

* Journal of Chinese Philosophy *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253011725
Author Franklin Perkins
Format Paperback
Page Count 328
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 494g