Archery Metaphor and Ritual in Early Confucian Texts

This book explores the significance of archery as ritual practice and literary metaphor in classical Confucian texts. Archery passages in the Analects, Mencius, and Xunzi are discussed in the light of Zhou culture and the troubled historical circumstances of early followers of the ruist master Confucius.

List of contents

Acknowledgments
Abbreviation & Illustrations
Introduction
Literary Metaphor, A Package Deal
Chapter 1: Bow-wielding Aristocrats of Zhou
The Bow in Warfare and Sports
The Bow in Zhou Ritual Tradition
Bow Narratives & Poetry
Chapter 2: Ritual Archers in the Analects
Confucius and the Bow
The Competition of Gentlemen (An 3.7)
Hitting the Target is not the Main Thing (An 3.16)
Straight as an Arrow (An 15.16)
Chapter 3: Sharp Shooters in Mencius
Mencius and Archery in Early Warring States
The Gentleman as Sharp Shooter (M 2A.7 & 5B.1)
Teaching the Way as Archery Training (M 6A.20 & 7A.41)
Moral Failure as Faulty Aiming (M 6A.9)
Chapter 4: Fine Bows and Distant Targets in Xunzi
Xunzi and Archery in Late Warring States
Transforming Nature: Fashioning Bows from Twisted Wood
Paragons of Learning: Undividedness and Not Missing a Shot
Visions of Government: The State Needs Scholars as Much as Archers
Concluding Remarks
Bibliography
About the Author

About the author

Rina Marie Camus teaches philosophy and experiential pedagogies at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Product details

• Authors: Rina Marie Camus
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2020
• EAN: 9781498597203
• ISBN: 978-1-4985-9720-3
• No. of pages: 132
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Other world religions; Philosophy of Language, PHILOSOPHY / Language, PHILOSOPHY / Eastern, PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / Ancient & Classical, ancient philosophy, Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500, Oriental & Indian philosophy, East Asian & Indian philosophy