Gongsun Long

公孙龙Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

4.5

Word count: 1.8K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In Gongsun Longzi, Gongsun Long focuses on the intension and extension of concepts and on the inherent contradictions between the universal and the particular in things. His characteristic method is to exaggerate such contradictions and deny the unity of the two, ultimately arriving at conclusions that defy common sense—namely, that a white horse is not a horse in the ordinary sense, and he also artificially separates the white of color from the hardness of texture in his discussion.

Editor's review

This book is organized around Gongsun Longzi and presents Gongsun Long's reflections on the intension and extension of concepts and on the inherent contradictions between the universal and the particular in things. Propositions such as "a white horse is not a horse" and "hardness and whiteness are separate" have long been regarded as sophistry, yet they compel readers to reexamine the relationships among language, classification, and reality. Reading it offers a sense of the sharpness of pre-Qin School of Names dialectics while also making clear its argumentative tendency to exaggerate contradictions and deny unity. It is suitable as a supplementary reader for the history of Chinese philosophy, introductory logic, and the School of Names debate movement; dismantling the propositions one by one in classroom discussion or a reading group is more effective than reading straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese philosophy and School of Names thought
Logic and linguistics students using it for critical-thinking training
University teachers and students of Chinese philosophy history as supplementary material for pre-Qin School of Names topics
Speculative readers who enjoy proposition analysis and conceptual analysis

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting light stories or popular history
Beginning readers lacking the patience to analyze abstract propositions sentence by sentence
Readers seeking systematic life philosophy and practical advice

Reading tips

Read the original texts of "On the White Horse" and "On Hardness and Whiteness" first, then dismantle the proposition structures sentence by sentence against the annotations.
Prepare paper and pen to map the extensional relations of concepts and test the reasoning steps in Gongsun Long's arguments.
Read against the background of the pre-Qin School of Names debate movement, distinguishing the original meaning of the text from later criticism.
Organize a small reading group to debate for and against whether "a white horse is not a horse" holds.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
公孙龙第十一

FAQ

What exactly is "a white horse is not a horse" saying?

Gongsun Long emphasizes that the concept "white horse" contains the dual determination of color and form, while "horse" refers only to form; therefore their extensions differ. He uses this to discuss the difference between the intension and extension of concepts, but from this he denies the unity of the universal and the particular, and the conclusion goes against common sense and must be viewed dialectically.

Can I understand it without a philosophy background?

You can start with an annotated edition, but the propositions in this book are abstract and the arguments jump, so readers with no background may easily be confused. It is advisable to first learn the pre-Qin School of Names background, then read closely chapter by chapter, and not try to read the whole book straight through at once.

Is this book suitable for classroom discussion?

Yes. The propositions in the book are short and sharp, making it easy to dismantle and debate them one by one in class, and it can train conceptual analysis and argument evaluation skills; it is especially suitable for thematic discussion segments in courses on the history of philosophy and logic.

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About the author

公孙龙 Author

Gongsun Long is an important representative of the School of Names in ancient China. His dates of birth and death, nationality, and other specific details can no longer be verified, and publicly available information is very limited. Judging from extant sources, he was known mainly for logical speculation and the debate over names and realities, skilled at close analysis of the intension and extension of concepts, and he put forward several propositions that were quite influential in the history of ancient Chinese thought. The library holds two related works, Gongsun Long and Gongsun Longzi, commonly classified as philosophy readings. These works embody the School of Names' inquiry into the relationship between language, concepts, and reality. Their style is concise while their arguments are intricate, often advancing points through dialogue and disputation, and they are highly speculative to read. Gongsun Long's doctrines have been evaluated differently by later generations, but as important material for pre-Qin logical thought and philosophy of language, his works remain indispensable texts for the study of ancient Chinese name-and-argument learning and offer reference value for understanding the tradition of conceptual analysis in classical philosophy.