On Reading

胡承诺Jun 2024

3.0

Word count: 115K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with emphasis on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Dou Shu Shuo is a volume in the "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and continues the series' aim of preserving the appearance of original books and transmitting traditional thought and culture. The classics of Chinese learning it presents cover different fields such as religious theology, classical Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, and the Hundred Schools of Thought. The material is rich and the intellectual threads complex, helping readers understand at the level of original texts how traditional Chinese culture settled into philosophy, medicine, military affairs, and everyday ideas. The value of reading this book lies not in obtaining a set of answers detached from their historical context, but in encountering the intellectual resources the ancients left on self-cultivation, governance, health preservation, and dealing with the world. It is suitable as a supplementary volume on a general traditional culture bookshelf and for reading alongside related original texts, appreciating classical expression, intellectual differences, and cultural resonance in slow reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who hope to encounter traditional Chinese culture systematically through original texts
Learners interested in the Hundred Schools of Thought, ancient military strategy, and classical Chinese medical texts
Readers who want to improve their classical Chinese comprehension and traditional cultural literacy
People who prefer reading original texts and understanding the threads of ancient thought

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting quick introductory conclusions or practical techniques
Readers who want content strictly focused on a single specialized topic
People unaccustomed to classical Chinese original texts and traditional cultural materials

Reading tips

First browse the book's contents and structure, then choose key chapters for close reading according to your interests
When encountering difficult passages, use annotations and explanations to sort out core concepts and their relationships
Compare the book's views with related original texts, avoiding directly applying ancient discussions to the present
Take brief notes on each topic, recording concepts, argumentative methods, and questions

版权信息
叙1
叙2
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四之上
卷四之中
卷四之下
附录年谱

FAQ

How is Dou Shu Shuo best read?

It is best treated as an original-text reader, not read only to grasp conclusions quickly. Browse the contents first, then read selectively according to interest, and use notes to sort out concepts, threads, and questions to improve comprehension.

How does this book differ from ordinary popular works on traditional culture?

This series emphasizes preserving the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture. The reading focus is therefore direct contact with ancient documents and their modes of expression, rather than simplified summaries of knowledge.

What background is needed to read it?

No specialized disciplinary background is required, but patience with classical Chinese is needed. When encountering difficult words and sentences, use annotations, reference works, and materials on the same topic to aid understanding.

Comments

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About the author

胡承诺 Author

Hu Chengnuo is an author about whom little is known; public sources give no information about his native place, dates of birth and death, or nationality, and only one of his works is held in the collection. Judging from the surviving catalogue information, his representative work is titled Dushu Shuo (On Reading), and it is generally classified among classic works. The title itself suggests that the book concerns methods of reading, reflections on scholarship, or commentary on classical texts—a type of discussion traditional men of letters developed around reading and learning. Because reliable biographical records are lacking, it is difficult today to reconstruct his associates, official career, or intellectual background, and no speculation about his life should be made. For readers, the reliable way to approach this author is to return to the text of Dushu Shuo itself, attending to its lines of argument, prose style, and the questions it addresses, and to understand it within the tradition of writings on reading. Its influence and transmission likewise await fuller documentation.