Record of Questions and Answers at the Golden Terrace

湛若水Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaSep 2023

3.8

Word count: 21K words
Chapters: 3

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Summary

This book is Jintai Dawen Lu (Records of Questions and Answers at Jintai), by Zhan Ruoshui.

Editor's review

Zhan Ruoshui was a major figure in Ming dynasty School of Mind philosophy. Jintai Dawen Lu presents his teaching and argumentation in question-and-answer form and is suited to readers interested in the lineage of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind. The advantage of the question-and-answer format is that it preserves the layers of inquiry: readers can follow the questions forward and see how concepts are defined and how disagreements are addressed, rather than reading only conclusions. This edition makes the text accessible to modern readers and serves both as an introductory source for understanding Zhan Ruoshui's thought and as material for comparative reading alongside relevant discussions by Chen Xianzhang and Wang Yangming. Read slowly, attend to the turns and qualifications between question and answer, and when encountering core concepts, note them down first and return to them later. For general readers, the scholarly context of the discussions is fairly specialized; it is advisable to read introductory or background material first and then proceed to the main text. If used in a course or reading group, dividing the discussion by topic works better.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Humanities readers interested in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind
Readers who want to understand Zhan Ruoshui's teaching style and intellectual lineage
Philosophy students using it as supplementary reading for a seminar on the School of Mind
Reading group members discussing it chapter by chapter by topic

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting light stories or popular history
Readers with no classical Chinese or philosophical reading experience who are unwilling to consult annotations

Reading tips

Read the preface or publisher's note first to understand the School of Mind context in which Zhan Ruoshui worked before entering the main text.
Take notes unit by unit from the questions and answers, marking core concepts and the turns of inquiry for easy review.
Read it alongside relevant texts by Chen Xianzhang and Wang Yangming, noting similarities and differences without rushing to judge.
In a reading group, choose two or three questions and answers each time; restate the question first, then discuss the response.

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
泉翁大全卷之七十七
泉翁大全卷之七十七终

FAQ

Can I read Jintai Dawen Lu without a philosophy background?

You can try, but you will first need some background in Ming dynasty School of Mind thought. The question-and-answer format preserves the process of inquiry and is easier to follow than a pure treatise; read the publisher's note or a related introduction first, note core concepts as you go, and do not try to grasp everything at once—proceed slowly unit by unit.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to the School of Mind?

It is better as supplementary reading on a specific topic than as the only introductory book. Zhan Ruoshui's questions and answers have their own problematic and interlocutors; without any background in the School of Mind, it may be hard to grasp where the disagreements lie. Read a general survey first, then use this book to deepen your understanding of his teaching style and conceptual definitions.

Should I take notes while reading?

Brief notes are recommended. The question-and-answer format advances through follow-up questions and qualifications, and readers easily remember only the conclusions; record each item's question, core concepts, main points of response, and unresolved issues. This allows you to reconstruct the layers of argument when you return to it and makes comparison with other School of Mind texts easier.

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About the author

湛若水 Author

Zhan Ruoshui was an important Ming-dynasty philosopher and scholar. Public information about his life, including his dates of birth and death, is limited and awaits further verification. Judging from the five works held in the collection, his writings span Eastern philosophy, philosophical reading, classic works, and folk literature, combining doctrinal discussion with everyday questions and answers. Among them, Jintai Dawen Lu unfolds its discussions in a question-and-answer format, Ganquan Xiansheng Xubian Daquan shows the scale of his continued writings, and Yueyou Jixing Lu records travels and observations. His prose thus displays both the rigor of speculation and the plainness of travel writing. Zhan Ruoshui's works are regarded by later generations as important materials for studying Ming philosophy and the life of scholars, and they offer a useful reference for understanding the intellectual climate of his time.