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The Tao of Politics: Lessons of the Masters of Huainan (Shambhala Dragon Editions)
The Tao of Politics Lessons of the Masters of Huainan - Shambhala Dragon Editions Author:Thomas Cleary (Editor) The masters of Huainan were eight Taoist sages who were invited during the early Han dynasty (207 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) by the king of Huainan to come to his court and demonstrate their learning. So startling was their display of knowledge that it demolished the king's intellectual pride and moral complacency and earned the sages instant fame. — E... more »merging at a time of national reconstruction, the eight masters spoke at length on statecraft, the origins of government, law and war. Their political teachings were distinguished by the Taoist belief that the vital energy and spirit of both the individual and society are derived from the quality of human consciousness rather than the surface value of customs, institutions and laws. These teachings were recorded and later compiled and revered as the most politically explicit and constructive of the philosophical texts of Taoism.
Presented here for the modern Western reader the text has been arranged into four sections representing the full spectrum of Taoist political thought from society and statecraft, warfare, peace and wisdom. There is a broadening awareness of the value of applying the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to the contemporary problems of leadership in business and politics.« less