Title: Before Confucius
First published: 1997
Description: Edward L. Shaughnessy examines the original composition of China's oldest books, the Classic of Changes, the Venerated Documents, and the Classic of Poetry. By describing the original contexts in which these books were written and what they meant to their original authors and readers, this work sheds light on both the degree to which Chinese culture already was literate by 1000 BC, and also on how the later classical tradition eventually diverged from these origins.
Subjects: Civilization, Chinese classics, History and criticism, Philosophy, chinese, LITERARY CRITICISM, Asian, General
Places: China
Time periods: To 221 B.C.
LC classification: PL2461.Z6 S46 1997