Aristotle and Xunzi on Shame, Moral Education, and the Good Life
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:29th Aug '24
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Despite recent developments in the history of emotions and in comparative studies, sustained cross-cultural comparative studies of the emotions remain few and far between. Jingyi Jenny Zhao has produced the first major work that takes two philosophers from the ancient Greek and early Chinese traditions to stimulate discussion of an interdisciplinary nature on the rich and complex topic of the emotions-in particular, of shame. It features comparative analysis of Greek and Chinese texts while bringing the ancient materials to bear on modern controversies such as the role of shame in moral education and social cohesion. Although unalike in their social-historical and intellectual backgrounds, Aristotle and Xunzi bear striking similarities in several respects: they both conceptualize humans as essentially members of communities, as having a unique set of characteristics that set them apart from other living things, and as beings in need of moral training to fulfil their potential and become integrated into a well-ordered society. The two philosophers' discourses on shame reveal important insights into their ideals of human nature, moral education and the good life. This book tackles directly the methodological problems that are relevant to anyone interested in cross-cultural comparisons and organizes discussions of the ancient sources to facilitate a thorough integration of perspectives from the cultural traditions concerned. This approach provides sufficient focus to allow for detailed textual analysis while giving scope for making constant connections to the broader comparative questions at issue.
What would Aristotle and Xunzi have made of one another's ethical systems? Thanks to Jingyi Jenny Zhao, we are closer than ever to envisioning that conversation. Zhao's subtle virtuosity in multiple realms--philology, philosophy, and cultural history--equips her to do groundbreaking work in the field of what I call 'Comparative Classics.' * John Kirby, University of Miami *
Jingyi Jenny Zhao has conducted a philologically sensitive, philosophically rich, and context-specific analysis of the role of shame in Aristotle's and Xunzi's views of moral education and the good life. Written with lucidity and poise, the book persuasively demonstrates how rewarding the comparative study of ancient philosophy could be. * Yiqun Zhou, Stanford University *
Zhao (Univ. of Cambridge, UK) has written a helpful comparative study of one major thinker from each tradition. Recommended. * CHOICE *
In this pioneering study of Aristotle and Xunzi, Jingyi Jenny Zhao develops a sophisticated cross-cultural methodology that, when applied in a close engagement with their views on topics such as the importance of the emotions in moral education and the nature of the good life, yields deeper understanding of issues of philosophical importance both for them and for us today * Geoffrey Lloyd, University of Cambridge *
The book is a valuable contribution on many levels. Zhao has developed a clear methodology to compare two distant thinkers. It would be highly valuable if more research could be done employing her methods. The emotion of shame gets a thorough and in-depth analysis that enables an understanding of its social function across cultures. In that way one may even start thinking that shame can be understood as moral integrity or a proto-virtue, a virtue that enables the development of any other virtue. Finally the reader gets an insight into two great thinkers, Aristotle and Xunzi, and sees them in a new comparative perspective that allows a deeper understanding of both of them. * Matylda Amat Obryk, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
ISBN: 9780197773161
Dimensions: 241mm x 163mm x 25mm
Weight: 431g
194 pages