Language and Logic in Ancient China

Guided by 20^th century theories of language, Hansen's novel approach to interpretive theory launched the modern analytical study of Ancient Chinese philosophy. This 1983 publication challenged authority-based traditional "religious" accounts stemming from 18^th and 19^th century missionary dictionaries and reliance on interpretive authority.

"Hansen shows that one tiny grammatical question... has profound implications for the understanding of Chinese philosophy. ...This is surely a decisive br...