Ten Critiques

Name: Ten Critiques
ISBN: 9787010095301

Guo MoruoPeople's Publishing House · ChinaOct 2024

4.3

Word count: 280K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787010095301

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Summary

This is a collection of studies by Guo Moruo on the philosophical thought of ancient Chinese thinkers. It covers: 1. A self-critique of ancient studies; 2. A critique of Confucius and Mozi; 3. A critique of the eight Confucian schools; 4. A critique of the Jixia Huang-Lao school; 5. A critique of Zhuangzi; 6. A critique of Xunzi; 7. A critique of the School of Names and disputation; 8. A critique of the early Legalists; 9. A critique of Han Feizi; 10. A critique of Lü Buwei and King Zheng of Qin. The book presents a fairly complete outline of the institutions of ancient Chinese society, their transformation, and how that transformation was reflected in ideology, adopting a historical-materialist standpoint.

Editor's review

Ten Critiques is a landmark collection of scholarly essays by Guo Moruo, published in 1945, that embodies his core views and critical thinking on pre-Qin thinkers. Rather than a tightly systematized history of philosophy, the book uses “critique” as its method, offering in-depth analysis and reassessment of the major schools—Confucian, Mohist, Daoist, Legalist—and their representative figures. Drawing on his deep grounding in history and keen philosophical insight, Guo sought to trace the development of ancient Chinese thought within a Marxist historical-materialist framework, with particular attention to the interplay between social structure, economic base, and intellectual doctrine. His evaluations of Confucius, Mozi, Laozi, Han Feizi, and others bear clear marks of their era, while also displaying the author’s ambition to move beyond traditional classical exegesis and conduct “scientific” historical research. Notably, many of the specific conclusions Guo advances (such as his judgments on the nature of pre-Qin society and his characterizations of certain thinkers) have since been widely debated and revised—which precisely highlights the book’s value as a specimen of scholarship from a particular historical period. For contemporary readers, the point of reading Ten Critiques may lie less in wholly accepting its specific arguments than in seeing how an outstanding scholar used the intellectual tools available to him to systematically organize, interpret, and critique a national cultural heritage. The methodological inspiration of this attempt to combine intellectual history with social history remains relevant today.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in the history of ancient Chinese thought, especially pre-Qin thinkers
Researchers who wish to understand how mid-twentieth-century Chinese Marxist historians interpreted traditional thought
Readers interested in intellectual history, historiography, and the interaction between intellectuals and the currents of their time
Literature and history enthusiasts seeking to practice critical thinking and contextualized historical understanding through classic texts

Not a good fit for

Introductory readers expecting an objective, neutral, consensus-based introduction to pre-Qin philosophy
Readers who reject or cannot historically understand a specific ideological framework of analysis

Reading tips

Before reading, acquire a basic understanding of Guo Moruo’s life, scholarly background, and the debates in Chinese intellectual circles in the 1930s–40s, so as to better grasp the starting points and targets of his arguments.
It is advisable to read this book alongside Guo’s other works from the same or slightly earlier period (such as The Bronze Age) and later scholarship on related topics (such as works by Hou Wailu, Li Zehou, and others) to form a more well-rounded understanding.
Distinguish between the book’s textual criticism, philosophical analysis, and value judgments based on specific theoretical premises; consider its argumentative logic and focus on the way it poses questions rather than only on its conclusions.

About the publisher

People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1921

The People's Publishing House focuses on political theory, important Party and state documents, documentary literature, and Eastern philosophy, with 152 titles in the collection. Representative books include Xi Jinping's "Speech at the Conference Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up," "Building an Open Global Economy Through Innovation and Inclusion: Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the First China International Import Expo," "Speech at the Symposium on Private Enterprises," "Speech at the Symposium Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Comrade Liu Shaoqi's Birth," "Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era: Report at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," "Speech at the Seminar for Principal Leading Cadres at the Provincial and Ministerial Levels on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee," and "Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art," as well as Guo Moruo's "A Tercentenary Tribute to the Jiashen Year." Author resources are represented by Xi Jinping and Guo Moruo, among others. Its publishing character lies in organizing content around political reading materials and major speech documents while also covering documentary literature and Eastern philosophy; as public information is limited, other publishing details are not elaborated here.

版权信息
《人民文库》编委会
《人民文库》出版前言
编选说明
古代研究的自我批判
孔墨的批判
儒家八派的批判
稷下黄老学派的批判
庄子的批判
荀子的批判
名辩思潮的批判
前期法家的批判
韩非子的批判
吕不韦与秦王政的批判
后记——我怎样写《青铜时代》和《十批判书》
后记之后
蜥蜴的残梦——《十批判书》改版书后

FAQ

What is this book’s Douban rating?

Ten Critiques has multiple edition entries on Douban Books, generally rated above 8.0; the exact score varies by edition and number of ratings. Reviews mostly affirm its value in intellectual history and its intellectual boldness, while often discussing its historical limitations.

What is the main content of this book?

The book collects ten thematic research essays by Guo Moruo on pre-Qin thinkers, systematically discussing in turn a self-critique of ancient studies, a critique of Confucius and Mozi, a critique of the eight Confucian schools, a critique of the Jixia Huang-Lao school, a critique of Zhuangzi, a critique of Xunzi, a critique of the School of Names and disputation, a critique of the early Legalists, a critique of Han Feizi, and a critique of Lü Buwei and King Zheng of Qin. Its core is the use of historical materialism to organize and evaluate pre-Qin scholarship and thought.

What was the background of Guo Moruo’s writing this book?

The main essays were written in the later years of the War of Resistance Against Japan (1943–1945). At the time Guo Moruo was in Chongqing; while engaged in wartime cultural work, he devoted himself to the study of ancient Chinese society and thought. He sought to use Marxist theoretical methods to reexamine and critique China’s traditional cultural heritage in service of the national liberation and intellectual enlightenment movements of the time. This book is the concentrated presentation of that series of studies.

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About the author

Guo Moruo Author · Chinese · 1892–1978

Guo Moruo (1892–1978), originally named Guo Kaizhen, was a native of Leshan, Sichuan, and a modern Chinese writer, poet, playwright, historian, and paleographer. His poetry collection The Goddesses, published in 1921, opened a new poetic style with intense self-expression and romantic imagination; he was also one of the founders of the Creation Society and later served for many years as president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His writing spans modern poetry, documentary literature, Eastern philosophy, and biography. Representative works include A Tercentenary Tribute to the Jiashen Year, Ten Critical Essays, The Goddesses and Starry Sky: Selected Poems of Guo Moruo, and Li Bai and Du Fu, combining scholarly textual research with a poet's touch and exerting a profound influence on modern Chinese literature and scholarship.