Discourse on the Opening of Spring

吕氏春秋Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

4.5

Word count: 4K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

As a work composed of the Twelve Annals, Eight Examinations, and Six Discourses, The Annals of Lü Buwei emphasizes the broad assimilation of the doctrines of the various schools; it is a comprehensive work that takes Daoist thought as its main body while also adopting the theories of the Yin-Yang, Confucian, Mohist, Legalist, Military, and Agricultural schools.

Editor's review

"On the Opening of Spring" comes from the first of the Twelve Annals in The Annals of Lü Buwei. Taking the celestial phenomena and governmental decrees of spring as its point of entry, it links the rhythms of nature with human governance into a single discourse. Its value lies not in offering some single doctrine, but in presenting the inclusive intellectual climate of the late Warring States period: with the Daoist view of the heavenly Way as its framework, it fuses the Yin-Yang school's seasonal framework, Confucian ethics, Mohist frugality, Legalist standards of punishment and nomenclature, and military and agricultural practice into one whole. In reading, one sees a clearly ordered chapter arrangement: each discourse first establishes a general outline, then unfolds layer by layer through historical examples, analogies, and questions and answers. The argumentation is not abstract and often comes down to the concrete level of the ruler's governance, the conduct of officials, and the livelihood of the common people. This edition preserves the original work's discourse format and is suitable as an introductory text for understanding the tendency toward the confluence of the pre-Qin masters; it is also suitable for readers interested in ancient political philosophy and seasonal ritual institutions to read closely, piece by piece. Approached from the perspective of modern management or decision-making, its discussions of timing, division of labor, and restraint still offer something to learn from, though one should note that its arguments serve the monarchical political context of a particular era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in pre-Qin masters' thought and ancient political philosophy
Students who wish to understand the structure and format of The Annals of Lü Buwei and its discourses on spring seasons
Scholars engaged in the history of ancient thought or ritual institutions who need close reading of the text
Enthusiasts who enjoy reading classical texts in the form of short discourses

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers expecting modern vernacular translation or sentence-by-sentence annotation
Casual readers seeking only light stories or literary prose
Readers with no interest in ancient political ethics and the framework of heaven-human correspondence

Reading tips

First read the general preface to the Twelve Annals to grasp the overall framework of the correspondence between spring and governmental decrees, then enter the individual chapters of "On the Opening of Spring."
After reading each chapter, summarize its thesis and evidence in your own words, marking points of convergence or divergence with the Confucian, Mohist, and Legalist schools.
Read in comparison with other annals and discourses in The Annals of Lü Buwei, noting how the same theme changes across the discourses of different seasons.
When encountering obstacles in names, objects, or institutions, skip them first and look them up after finishing a chapter, so as not to interrupt the thread of the argument.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
序
开春
察贤
期贤
审为
爱类
贵卒

FAQ

Is "On the Opening of Spring" an independent work or part of The Annals of Lü Buwei?

It is the opening discourse of the spring section in the Twelve Annals of The Annals of Lü Buwei, not a work published independently. This edition presents it in standalone form; when reading, one should understand it within the overall structure of the Twelve Annals in order to see clearly the correspondence between spring seasons and governmental decrees.

If the book takes Daoism as its main body, why does it also adopt Confucian, Mohist, Legalist, and other schools?

The Annals of Lü Buwei was compiled in the late Warring States period with the aim of gathering the strengths of the various schools to address practical problems of governance. It takes the Daoist view of the natural heavenly Way as its overarching framework while absorbing Confucian ethics, Mohist frugality, Legalist standards of punishment and nomenclature, and military and agricultural practice, forming an inclusive style of discourse rather than a strict sectarian dispute.

Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read this book?

You can try, but you will need tools. The original discourse format is clear and the thrust of each chapter is relatively focused; with a classical Chinese dictionary and an introductory reader on pre-Qin thought, you can gradually enter the text. If you rely entirely on modern vernacular paraphrase, however, it is easy to lose the original argumentative layers and the precision of wording.

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About the author

吕氏春秋 Author

Lüshi Chunqiu is not a single author but a work compiled under the direction of Lü Buwei, the chancellor of Qin in the late Warring States period, and it is commonly cited under the name "Lüshi Chunqiu." Publicly available information about the individual compiler's life is limited, and no exact dates of birth or death or nationality are recorded. The book is broad in scope, gathering materials from the various schools of pre-Qin thought and covering subjects such as astronomy, calendars, ritual institutions, politics, and ethics. The works listed in the catalog, such as the Annals of Midsummer, Early Summer, Early Spring, Midsummer, Early Winter, Late Spring, Late Autumn, and the Discourses of the Opening of Spring, are chapters arranged by season and month, reflecting a style organized around the seasons and integrating the doctrines of the Hundred Schools. The book is often mentioned in cultural and Eastern philosophy categories and is an important source for understanding pre-Qin thought and the concept of monthly ordinances.