Short description:

This book offers a dynamic portrayal of the preeminent Neo-Confucian Wang Yangming's philosophy of the heartmind. Through the life and times of this prodigious Ming Dynasty figure, from his early literary achievements and pursuit of Buddhist and Daoist ideals to his later success in warfare, virtuous leadership, and tragic struggle against dynastic corruption, the author traces the many stages of the development and application of Wang?s Confucian thinking. Its systematic study of the context through which Wang?s thought matured and was received includes detailed accounts of his inheritance of earlier heartmind philosophy and his pedagogical as well as personal relations with many distinguished disciples. A concise edition of the author?s three-volume Biography of Yangming: The Redemption of Mind, this book draws on a wealth of new information to overturn the traditional understanding of Wang Yangming that dominated the past 500 years.

Shu Jingnan, a professor and doctoral advisor of the Ancient Books Institute of Zhejiang University and a senior expert of Zhejiang Province. Professor Shu specializes in Confucianism.

Long description:

This book offers a dynamic portrayal of the preeminent Neo-Confucian Wang Yangming's philosophy of the heartmind. Through the life and times of this prodigious Ming Dynasty figure, from his early literary achievements and pursuit of Buddhist and Daoist ideals to his later success in warfare, virtuous leadership, and tragic struggle against dynastic corruption, the author traces the many stages of the development and application of Wang?s Confucian thinking. Its systematic study of the context through which Wang?s thought matured and was received includes detailed accounts of his inheritance of earlier heartmind philosophy and his pedagogical as well as personal relations with many distinguished disciples. A concise edition of the author?s three-volume Biography of Yangming: The Redemption of Mind, this book draws on a wealth of new information to overturn the traditional understanding of Wang Yangming that dominated the past 500 years.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction ? The Development of Ancient China?s Philosophy of the Heartmind: From Confucius' Grounding in Humane Care to Wang Yangming's Grounding in Innate moral consciousness.- 2. The Heavenly Birth of "Stone Qilin".- 3. A Senior Student in the Imperial Academy: An Intellectual Elite Fond of Classical Poetry and Prose.- 4. New Symphonic Movements of ?Journey in the Great Capital?.- 5. Good at Learning and Transforming: The Dawn of His Ideological Change.- 6. The Yichou Enlightenment: The Starting Point of Yangming?s Philosophy of the Heartmind.- 7. From a Principal Officer in the Ministry of War to a Postmaster at Longchang Stage Station.- 8. Enlightenment at Longchang: Transcending Baisha?s Learning of Heartmind.- 9. Pheonix Reborn: From District Magistrate of Luling to Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel.- 10. The Movement of Heartmind Philosophy during a Second ?Journey in the Great Capital?.- 11. A Journey in Nanzhili: Advocating the Way in the Southeast.- 12. In the Southern Capital: Lectures, Debates, and a New Era.- 13. The Ways of the Word and the Sword: Political and Military Accomplishments in Jiangxi.- 14. The Tragicomedy of Quelling the Chenhao Rebellion.- 15. The Philosophy of Innate Moral Consciousness: The Real Birth of Yangming?s School of Thought.- 16. Struggling under the "Prohibition on Learning" of Jiajing?s Reign.- 17. The Second Summary of Yangming?s Life Work.- 18. Starting the Expedition to Si?en and Tianzhou: The Ultimate End of a Tragic Fate.- 19. Epilogue ? ?This Heartmind Is Luminous?: A Bright Path to Restoring the Heartmind and Becoming a Sage.