{"product_id":"shizi-1768517211047","title":"Shizi","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy blending multiple strands of thought into one ideology, Chinese Syncretists of the pre-imperial period created an essential guide to contemporary ideas about self, society, and government. Merging traditions such as Ruism, Mohism, Daoism, Legalism, and Yin-Yang naturalism into their work, Syncretists created an integrated intellectual approach that contrasts with other, more specific philosophies. Presenting the first full English translation of the earliest example of a Syncretist text, this volume introduces Western scholars to both the brilliance of the syncretic method and a critical work of Chinese leadership.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by Shi Jiao, China's first syncretic thinker, during the Warring States Period of 481 to 221 BCE, \u003ci\u003eShizi\u003c\/i\u003e is similar to Machiavelli's \u003ci\u003eThe Prince\u003c\/i\u003e in that it dispenses wisdom to would-be rulers. It stresses the need for leaders to be detached and objective. It further encourages self-cultivation and effective government, recommending that rulers maintain self-discipline, hire reliable people, delegate power transparently, and promote others in an orderly fashion. The people, it is argued, will emulate their leader's wisdom and virtue, and a just and peaceful state will result. Paul Fischer provides an extensive introduction and a chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis of the text—outlining the importance of syncretism in Chinese culture—and explores the text's particular features, authorship, transmission, loss, and reconstruction over time. The \u003ci\u003eShizi\u003c\/i\u003e set the stage for a long history of syncretic endeavor in China, and its study provides insight into the vital traditions of early Chinese philosophy. It is also a template for interpreting other well-known works, such as the Confucian \u003ci\u003eAnalects\u003c\/i\u003e, the Daoist \u003ci\u003eLaozi\u003c\/i\u003e, the Mohist \u003ci\u003eMozi\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Legalist \u003ci\u003eShang jun shu\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paul Fischer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42980378247286,"sku":"9780231159067","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1374\/6550\/files\/CoreSourceHub_e40aabe4-0cfc-45f2-8fa5-91f88645aa6f.jpg?v=1768546648","url":"https:\/\/ingramacademic.com\/products\/shizi-1768517211047","provider":"Ingram Academic \u0026 Professional","version":"1.0","type":"link"}