Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture

by Robin R. Wang

Overview

The concept of yinyang lies at the heart of Chinese thought and culture. The relationship between these two opposing, yet mutually dependent, forces is symbolized in the familiar black and white symbol that has become an icon in popular culture across the world. The real significance of yinyang is, however, more complex and subtle. This brilliant and comprehensive analysis by one of the leading authorities in the field captures the richness and multiplicity of the meanings and applications of yinyang, including its visual presentations. Through a vast range of historical and textual sources, the book examines the scope and role of yinyang, the philosophical significance of its various layers of meanings, and its relation to numerous schools and traditions within Chinese (and Western) philosophy. By putting yinyang on a secure and clear philosophical footing, the book roots the concept in the original Chinese idiom, distancing it from Western assumptions, frameworks, and terms, yet also seeking to connect its analysis to shared cross-cultural philosophical concerns. In this way, the book illuminates not only a particular way of thinking, but also shows how yinyang thought has manifested itself concretely in a wide range of cultural practices, ranging from divination to medicine, and from the art of war to the art of sex.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521165136
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/24/2012
Series:	New Approaches to Asian History , #11
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Robin Wang is Daum Professor in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Asian Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. She is the editor of Chinese Philosophy in an Era of Globalization (2004) and Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture: Writings from the Pre-Qin Period to the Song Dynasty (2003).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Yinyang cosmology; 3. Yinyang matrix; 4. Yinyang strategy; 5. Yinyang body; 6. Yinyang symbol.

Editorial Reviews

"...offers all one might have wanted to know about yin-yang.... Wang's scholarship is deep.... anyone will be able to appreciate the impressive way she has of demonstrating the astonishing richness of an ancient culture, and a way of thinking about nature and the human world that few in the West have seriously considered.... Recommended...."
— R.T. Lee, emeritus, Trinity College, CHOICE

From the Publisher