Self-Cultivation in Early China

Paul Fischer is Associate Professor of Asian Religions and Cultures at Western Kentucky University. He is the translator and editor of Shizi: China's First Syncretist.

• AcknowledgmentsBook Title TranslationsIntroductionPart I: Person (人)1. Body (體)2. Nature (性)3. Mind (心)Part II: Environment (地)4. Virtuosity (德)5. Timeliness (時)Part III: Objects (物)6. Learning (學)7. Music (樂)Part IV: Cosmos (天)8. Fate (命)9. Destiny (天)10. Spiritousness (神)Works CitedIndex

"In addition to conveying the paradigm of the scholarly Chinese worldview, Fischer reminds us of a global-mindedness that concerns the comparison between different communities worldwide, and the necessary reinterpretation of the contemporary applicability of ancient authoritative texts. In sum, this sophisticated and user-friendly work is highly recommended to those concerned with early Chinese religions and philosophy as well as comparative studies." — Religious Studies Review"Although there is a long tradition of self-cultivation in China and East Asia, this is the first book-length work to discuss this important issue in Chinese cultural history, thus offering a unique contribution to our understanding of early China. Fischer combines sophisticated scholarly research with an accessible introduction to a multilayered audience, including scholars in the field, undergraduate students, and general readers." — Jianjun He, translator of Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue: An Annotated Translation of Wu Yue Chunqiu