“Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections”

Editors-in-Chief: Liu Xiaofeng, He Fangying

China Social Sciences Press, June 2024

Compiled by the Division of Classics at Institute of Foreign Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the “Research in Classics” book series was published by China Social Sciences Press, with Professor Liu Xiaofeng and Research Fellow He Fangying serving as its editors-in-chief. It comprises two sub-series, namely “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections” and “Classics and Commentaries: Collections of Classical Studies”. The former is dedicated to compiling and introducing Chinese and foreign time-honored classics and their relevant studies through translation, collation and annotation, while the latter aims to promote cutting-edge research findings of China’s classical scholars. In June 2024, the first set of five works in “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections” was officially published. This set includes The Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings in Tao Te Ching, Accompanied by Expanded Explanations of the Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings [道德玄经原旨（附：玄经原旨发挥）, Daodexuanjing Yuanzhi (with an Appendix: Xuanjing Yuanzhi Fahui)], Collected Commentaries on the Gongsun Longzi (公孙龙子集解, Gongsunlongzi Jijie), Lives of the Sophists (智术师列传, Zhishushi Liezhuan), The Platonism of Plutarch (普鲁塔克的柏拉图主义, Pulutake De Bolatuzhuyi), and Dialogues of the Dead (亡灵的对话, Wangling De Duihua).

The Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings in Tao Te Ching, Accompanied by Expanded Explanations of the Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings is a collated and annotated version of two works by Du Daojian (1237–1318), a Daoist scholar and representative figure of the Maoshan Sect (茅山派) during the late Song (960–1279) and early Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties. It presents Du’s exposition and the characteristics of the Daode Xuanjing (i.e., Tao Te Ching or Daodejing). As noted by the annotator in the preface, Du revered Laozi as “a sage who possesses the Dao (道) yet holds no official rank”, and argued that the motif of Tao Te Ching lies in “royal way and imperial virtues” and “Inner Sageliness and Outer Kingliness (the Excellent in Both Moral Character and in Governance)”, which reflects, as Du believed, Laozi’s aspiration to remedy the ills of his time by drawing on the governance principles from high antiquity. Furthermore, Du frequently cited Confucian and Buddhist classics and theories to support his interpretations. These features have rendered both The Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings in Tao Te Ching and Expanded Explanations of the Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings indispensable documents for the study of Tao Te Ching and Daoist interpretations of Laozi’s thoughts.

In “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections”, Chinese classical texts are edited and annotated in a format aimed at popularizing classical studies rather than traditional textual collation. Specifically, the texts are presented in traditional characters with horizontal layout and modern punctuation; concise annotations are provided for obscure characters and phrases, personal and place names, institutions and systems, as well as citation sources; and pinyin (phonetic notation of Chinese characters) is attached to rare or challenging characters. The goal is to transform ancient texts from esoteric relics into “accessible” reading materials for young students in this day and age.

Collected Commentaries on the Gongsun Longzi was written in 1936 by Chen Zhu (1890–1944), a towering figure in traditional Chinese scholarship, and stands as a landmark work in the compilation history of Gongsun Longzi. Based on the version of Gongsun Longzi (公孙龙子) included in Daoist Canon (道藏, Daozang) of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), this book brings together various editions and scholarly annotations, thus providing a fairly comprehensive overview of research conducted in the 1930s and earlier. In addition to annotating the six chapters of the original text, the work includes an extensive collection of materials about Gongsun Longzi, his philosophy and the text Gongsun Longzi itself (placed at the beginning of the work, these materials are divided into “A Biographical Sketch”, “Textual Research”, “Scholarly Commentary I”, “Scholarly Commentary II” and “Bibliographic Study”). Beyond compiling the commentaries of previous scholars, Chen also provided his own interpretations, all of which are of great benefit for subsequent studies of the Gongsun Longzi.

Lives of the Sophists is work by Flavius Philostratus (170–240), a Greek-speaking literati of the mid-Roman Empire. The book chronicles the lives of the sophists (ancient Greek educators) spanning centuries from the era of Athenian democracy to the early 3rd century. This Chinese translation also includes Lives of Philosophers and Sophists (哲人和智术师列传, Zheren He Zhishushi Liezhuan), a Neo-platonic work by the Greek-speaking literati Eunapius (347–429) of the late Roman Empire. As Neo-platonism was not merely a philosophical school of the 4th century, but a synthesis of ancient Greek civilizations, the work holds immense value as an ancient document. Notably, the author did not chronicle the predecessors of his own school as an heir of Neo-Platonism, but rather narrated the deeds and words of intellectual figures who carried forward classical Greek civilization.

Published in 1916, The Platonism of Plutarch is an academic monograph by Roger Miller Jones, a preeminent American classical scholar. It examines the relationship between Plutarch and Plato as well as the Academy. Since the 19th century, Plutarch’s identity as a Platonist had been contested in academia, but Jones’ work put an end to this controversy once and for all. The monograph is structured into the following three chapters: Chapter One, serving as a general introduction, analyzes Plutarch’s overall philosophical thought, with a focus on exploring the Platonic underpinnings of his religious views, demonology, and eschatological myths; Chapter Two directly dissects Plutarch’s interpretations of certain Platonic doctrines; Chapter Three presents a detailed comparative list of similarities between Plutarch’s works and Plato’s, showing that Plutarch’s references to Plato’s writings far outnumber those of other ancient thinkers.

Dialogues of the Dead is a masterpiece by Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657–1757), a renowned French literati, mathematician and historian of science in the Enlightenment era. The work’s literary genre originated with Lucian, a satirical writer of the Roman Empire, and later experienced a revival in the 17th century amid the intensifying debate known as “La Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes” (The Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns). This literary heritage is reflected in the structure of Dialogues of the Dead: Fontenelle pays tribute to Lucian in the beginning and divides the entire work into three sections—dialogues of ancient spirits, dialogues between ancient and modern spirits, and dialogues of modern spirits. Through the voices of the dead, Fontenelle explored topics such as death, history, the conflict between desire and happiness, and the pros and cons of rationality and madness, showcasing his erudition and wisdom, as well as his grasp of and reflections on modern issues.

With the initial publications of the “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections”, the Division of Classics at Institute of Foreign Literature, CASS, has demonstrated its editorial philosophy, which places equal emphasis on Chinese and Western classical studies. Both The Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings in Tao Te Ching, Accompanied by Expanded Explanations of the Core Meanings of the Profound Teachings and Collected Commentaries on the Gongsun Longzi represent important documents in their respective fields. Furthermore, Lives of the Sophists, The Platonism of Plutarch, and Dialogues of the Dead mark the first translations of these works into Chinese for domestic academic communities. From the translation projects of the “Series of Foreign Classical Literary Masterpieces” and “Series of Foreign Classical Literary and Artistic Theories” in 1959 to the “Series of Research Materials on Foreign Literature” in 1979, the Institute of Foreign Literature has borne witness to the arduous efforts of earlier scholars to fully understand Western literary traditions, improve China’s academic research system, and promote cultural development and prosperity. Our “Research in Classic” book series, which encompasses “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections” and “Classics and Commentaries: Collections of Classical Studies”, is aimed at inheriting the grand vision of the institute’s three major projects and the profound academic traditions of the “three series”. It further seeks to establish a balanced editorial approach that gives equal emphasis to both ancient and modern works, as well as to the classics and their interpretation, thereby contributing to the development of classical studies in China.

In his congratulatory letter to the first World Conference of Classics, Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly expressed his hope for experts and scholars to undertake the mission of classical studies. The publication of the five works mentioned above embodies the constructive efforts and intellectual reflections of classical scholars in the new era to advance and critically engage with classical studies in China, as well as their academic aspirations for carrying forward and enriching the traditions of Chinese classical research.

▲ Certificate awarded to “Classics and Commentaries: Ancient and Modern Collections” for being recognized as part of the “Release of Major Achievements of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)”

Author: Xie Qinglu (Institute of Foreign Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Source: The official Wechat account of “Bureau of Scientific Research Management of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences”