Mencius

Editor's PrefaceIntroductionBook 1ABook 1BBook 2ABook 2BBook 3ABook 3BBook 4ABook 4BBook 5ABook 5BBook 6ABook 6BBook 7ABook 7BGlossary of Persons and Places

Irene Bloom (1939-2010) was professor emerita of Asian and Middle Eastern cultures at Columbia University and Barnard College. She edited and translated Knowledge Painfully Acquired: The K'un-chih chi of Lo Ch'in-shun and coedited, with Joshua A. Fogel, Meeting of Minds: Intellectual and Religious Interaction in East Asian Traditions of Thought. Philip J. Ivanhoe specializes in the history of East Asian philosophy and religion and its potential for contemporary ethics. He has written, edited, and coedited more than a dozen books, including Readings from the Lu-Wang School of Neo-Confucianism and Confucian Moral Self-Cultivation.

Irene Bloom is a sensitive and well-trained scholar. Her translation of Mencius, one of the most influential philosophical works ever written in China, marks an important step forward for Asian and Confucian studies. -- Harold D. Roth, professor of religious and East Asian studies and director, Contemplative Studies Initiative, Brown University Irene Bloom's book is an exemplification of the best Sinological scholarship. Its interpretive brilliance will be a source of inspiration for years to come. -- Tu Weiming, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Peking University, and senior research fellow, Harvard University While Mencius may be generally more 'accessible' when compared with other classical Chinese texts, as P. J. Ivanhoe observes, it is still a challenge to capture in translation the flavor of its fine prose and the force of its arguments. This, I think, is precisely what Bloom sets out to do, and we are richly rewarded for her effort. Her translation is eminently reliable and has a graceful directness and simplicity. Ivanhoe's introduction helpfully highlights key ethical, political, and religious views and relates them to relevant contemporary philosophical debates. This book will be widely used and consulted by scholars. -- Alan K. L. Chan, National University of Singapore A tremendous accomplishment that crowns Bloom's exemplary career... Essential. Choice 3/1/10 Accurate and very fluid; in addition to their other strengths, Bloom and Ivanhoe are both gifted writers of English Journal of Chinese Studies Vol 7 2010