Mencius

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 Accurate and very fluid; in addition to their other strengths, Bloom and Ivanhoe are both gifted writers of English Journal of Chinese Studies

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.

Editor's Preface Introduction Book 1A Book 1B Book 2A Book 2B Book 3A Book 3B Book 4A Book 4B Book 5A Book 5B Book 6A Book 6B Book 7A Book 7B Glossary of Persons and Places