Confucian Canon

Name: Confucian Canon
ISBN: 9787569044300

Institute of Ancient Books Collation, Sichuan University / 舒大刚 / Zhang ShuhuaSichuan University Press2022

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ISBN: 9787569044300

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Summary

If the Tripitaka and the Daozang are regarded as the comprehensive collections of Buddhist and Daoist literature, then the Confucian Canon is a systematic settling of two thousand five hundred years of Confucian accumulation. It has three most commendable points: first, "completeness," with over 5,000 kinds of books collected and more than 500 million characters, from pre-Qin classical commentaries to the writings of late Qing and early Republic scholars, far exceeding any previous Confucian series in scale; second, "clarity," with the pioneering "Three Canons and Twenty-Four Categories," breaking the old overlapping structure of classics, history, philosophy, and belles-lettres in the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, so that readers can find books by category at a glance; third, "refinement," with photocopying to preserve authenticity plus punctuation and collation, and each category accompanied by section prefaces, brief prefaces, and bibliography summaries, equivalent to providing an academic map for each category. It should be noted that this is not a set of books that can be "read through," but a literature library that can be entered repeatedly. The scale of more than 600 volumes and the price of thousands of yuan for a single category mean that its natural readers are libraries, research institutions, and professional scholars, rather than ordinary household bookshelves. For individual readers, a more practical choice is to first borrow and read the section prefaces, brief prefaces, and summaries, using it as a searchable guide to Confucian literature, and then go deeper into a particular category according to research needs. In this way, one can appreciate the compilers' classification ingenuity without being intimidated by the scale.

Editor's review

如果把《大藏经》《道藏》视为佛、道两家的文献总汇，那么《儒藏》就是儒家两千五百年积累的一次系统落座。它最值得称道的有三点：一是“全”，收书五千余种、五亿余字，从先秦经注到清末民初学者著述，规模远迈既往任何儒学丛书；二是“清”，首创“三藏二十四目”，打破《四库全书》经史子集交叉重叠的旧格局，读者循类求书，一目了然；三是“精”，影印存真之外再加标点校勘，每类附分序、小序与书目提要，等于为每一门类配了一张学术地图。需要提醒的是，这不是一套可以“读完”的书，而是一座可以反复进入的文献库。六百余册的体量、动辄数千元的单类定价，意味着它的天然读者是图书馆、研究机构与专业学者，而非普通家庭书架。对于个人读者，更务实的选择是先借阅其中的分序、小序和提要部分，把它当作一部可检索的儒学文献导览来用，再按研究需要深入某一部类。这样既能体会到编纂者的分类匠心，也不至于被体量吓退。

Who it's for

A good fit for

儒学研究、中国哲学与中国经学史方向的研究者与硕博研究生
高校图书馆、人文社科研究机构等需要收藏大型文献丛书的单位
从事古籍整理、目录版本学工作的专业人士
希望系统了解儒学文献谱系与传统学术分类的深度爱好者

Not a good fit for

只想读一本入门读物、了解儒家思想的普通读者
预算与居住空间有限、期望“买回家通读”的个人藏书者
需要简体横排、白话注释与轻松阅读体验的初学者

Reading tips

先读各部类的分序、小序与书目提要，把它当作儒学文献的分类导览，再按兴趣深入具体部类。
以“三藏二十四目”为检索地图，先确定研究主题落在哪一目，避免在六百余册中失去方向。
个人读者建议通过图书馆或数据库使用，配合《四库全书总目》等目录书对照阅读，效果更佳。
若研究某一人物或学派，可交叉利用史藏的学案、碑传、年谱与论藏的性理、政论类文献互相印证。

About the publisher

Sichuan University Press China · Founded in 1985

Sichuan University Press is a comprehensive publisher grounded in academic publishing with a multidisciplinary outlook. Judging from the books in our catalog, the press has invested considerably in science fiction, issuing titles such as Interstellar Navigation: Selected Chinese Science Fiction, China's Best Science Fiction of the Year (2024), and Science Fiction World Selections 2024: The 36th Galaxy Awards Winning Works, bringing together authors including Liu Cixin, Wang Jinkang, He Xi, Han Song, Jiang Bo, and Wang Nuonuo. It also covers military science fiction and speculative futures, as seen in No War Tomorrow and The Idea Machine. Beyond fiction, the press publishes in language and writing, philosophy, history, and personal growth, including Practical Guide to News Spokesmanship and New Interpretations of the Zhou Officialdom. Public information is limited; the above is drawn only from the 26 titles in our catalog.

FAQ

《儒藏》和北京大学编纂的《儒藏》是同一套书吗？

不是。国内有两大《儒藏》工程：一套由四川大学古籍整理研究所编纂、四川大学出版社出版，656册，分经、史、论三藏；另一套由北京大学《儒藏》编纂与研究中心主持、北京大学出版社出版，先出“精华编”339册（中国部分282册）。两者编纂机构、体例与册数都不同，购买或引用时须分清版本。

《儒藏》全书一共多少册、多少字？

据四川大学与出版社公布的资料，全书精装656册，含经部265册、史部274册、论部117册，累计五亿余字，收录先秦至清末（或民国初期）儒学文献五千余种，2022年10月完成全部出版。

书中ISBN 9787569044300 对应的是哪一部分？

该ISBN在公开资料中标注为《儒藏》论部，并非整套656册的统一书号。由于全书按部类分批出版，各部类、各分册往往各有独立ISBN，购买时请以具体部类或分册的书号为准。

普通读者想了解儒学，适合从这套书入手吗？

不太适合。全书繁体影印加校点、体量庞大、定价高昂，主要服务于研究与收藏。普通读者可先读《论语》《孟子》的注释本或儒学通史类著作，待有明确研究方向后，再借助图书馆使用《儒藏》中的相关部类与提要。

《儒藏》的“三藏二十四目”具体指什么？

“三藏”指经藏、史藏、论藏：经藏收经注、经解、经说类文献，史藏收人物、学派、制度、书目、学校史志类文献，论藏收子学、礼教、政论、杂议等阐发儒家理论的文献。三藏之下再分周易、尚书、四书、孔孟史志、历代学案、性理、政治等共二十四个子目。

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About the author

Institute of Ancient Books Collation, Sichuan University Author

The Institute of Ancient Books Collation at Sichuan University is a specialized body established by Sichuan University for the collation and study of ancient Chinese books, with the collation and research of classical Chinese texts as its basic orientation. The institute has participated in the compilation of the Ruzang (Confucian Canon). The Ruzang is a large series that brings together Confucian classics; as a work of historical classics, it aims to systematically collect and preserve canonical Confucian literature and to provide foundational texts for related scholarly research. Judging from the work the institute has undertaken, its editing and publishing direction focuses on the collation, textual criticism, and compilation of ancient books, serving scholars of literature and history as well as enthusiasts of ancient texts. Because public information is limited, the institute's specific founding date, internal structure, staffing, and details of its academic activities remain unclear. The only work currently confirmed is the Ruzang, yet this achievement already reflects the institute's professional positioning in the preservation and dissemination of traditional classics.

舒大刚 Author

Shu Dagang has long been engaged in the study and collation of traditional Chinese culture and classical texts. Public information about him is limited, and his biographical details remain incomplete. Judging from the five works held in the collection, his writing and editorial work center on the compilation and study of Chinese classics, regional historical figures, and biographical documents, covering categories such as classical works, comprehensive biography, and culture. His representative works include The Complete Works of Su Dongpo (8 volumes), Selected Studies on Su Shi (Sichuan Historical Figures Series), Studies in Chinese Classics (Volumes 1 and 2), and the Sichuan Historical Figures Research Series (10 volumes). These works range from systematic compilations of documents on historical figures such as Su Shi to ongoing discussions of Chinese classics, reflecting an approach that combines documentary collation with scholarly research. His editorial style emphasizes solid materials and well-organized structure, making the works convenient for readers and researchers to consult and use.

Zhang Shuhua Author

Zhang Shuhua is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited; details such as nationality and dates of birth and death remain unclear, and only one work by this author is held in the collection. According to the existing records, the work associated with this author is the Confucian Canon (Ruzang), which is categorized under history and historical classics. The title itself points to the compilation and organization of Confucian texts, work that typically involves collecting, collating, and arranging traditional documents and is of fundamental importance for preserving and transmitting Confucian resources. Because verifiable material is scarce, Zhang Shuhua's specific career, scholarly background, and writing style cannot yet be described; readers wishing to learn about this author should take the Confucian Canon as a starting point and consult related publication notes and bibliographic information.