Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy Quotes

“would that turtle rather have its bones treasured in death, or be alive dragging its tail in the mud? … Go! I’ll keep my tail in the mud, too” (247). So Zhuangzi recommends that we do not seek prominence.”
― Bryan W. Van Norden, Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy

“Even in modern Chinese, the word for “revolution” (as in “Cultural Revolution”) is gémìng , which is literally “stripping of the mandate.”
― Bryan W. Van Norden, Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy

“These passages don’t just lay out a cyclic view of history, they specify a philosophy of history that explains those cycles. The founder of a dynasty is given a mandate (mìng ) to rule by Heaven (tiān ).”
― Bryan W. Van Norden, Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy