Basic writings of Mo Tzu, Hsün Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu

475 Pages·1967·10.802 MB·English

by  Burton Watson

Basic Writings of MO TZU, HSÜN TZU,
and HAN FÈI TZU
Prepared for the Columbia College Program of
Translations from the Oriental Classics
Wm. Theodore de Bary, Editor
Number lxxiv of the
RECORDS OF CIVILIZATION: SOURCES AND STUDIES
Edited under the auspices of the
Department of History, Columbia University

t€
Basic W ritings of
MO TZU, HSÜN TZU,
and HAN FEI TZU
Translated by BURTON WATSON
New York and London 1967
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Burton Watson is the author of Ssu-ma CWien: Grand
Historian of China (1958) and Early Chinese Litera­
ture (1962), and the translator of Records of the Grand
Historian of China, translated from the Shih. chi of
Ssu-ma CWien, 2 vols. (1961), Chuang Tzu: Basic
Writings (1964), and Su Tung-p’o: Selections from a
Sung Dynasty Poet (1965).
UNESCO COLLECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE WORKS
Chinese Series
This hook
has been accepted
in the Chinese Series
jf the Translations Collection
of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
C UNESCO)
Copyright © 1963, 1964 Columbia University Press
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 67-16170
Manufactured in the United States of America
RECORDS OF CIVILIZATION: SOURCES AND STUDIES
Edited under the auspices of the
Department of History, Columbia University
General Editor
W. T. H. Jackson, Professor of German and History
Past Editors
1915-1926
James T. Shotwell, Bryce Professor Emeritus of the History of
International Relations
1926-1953
Austin P. Evans, Professor of History
1953-1962
Jacques Barzun, Seth Low Professor of History
Editor: Oriental Records
Wm. Theodore de Bary, Professor of Chinese and Japanese
Consulting Editors: Oriental Records
Ainslie T. Embree, Associate Professor of Indian History
Chih-tsing Hsia, Associate Professor of Chinese
Donald Keene, Professor of Japanese
Ivan Morris, Professor of Japanese
Burton Watson, Assistant Professor of Chinese and Japanese
C. Martin Wilbur, Professor of Chinese History
Editor: European Records
W. T. H. Jackson, Professor of German and History
Consulting Editors: European Records
Cerson D. Cohen, Associate Professor of History
Gilbert Highet, Anthon Professor of Latin Language and Literature
Paul O. Kristeller, Professor of Philosophy
Gerhart B. Ladner, Professor of History, University of California,
Los Angeles
John H. Mundy, Professor of History on the Mathews Foundation

FOREWORD
Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hsiin Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu is one
of a group of publications, the Translations from the Oriental
Classics, through which the Committee on Oriental Studies has
sought to transmit to Western readers representative works of the
Oriental traditions in thought and literature. In its volumes of
source readings forming the “Introduction to Oriental Civiliza­
tions,” the Committee has provided a broad selection of excerpts
from influential thinkers in India, China, and Japan, discussing
the great problems of their times. Excerpts from Mo Tzu, Hsiin
Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu are thus included in Sources of Chinese
Tradition. Several of the great philosophers of classical China,
however, deserve a fuller reading and analysis than such a survey
allows, and there has been a need for more complete translations
of them. To say this is not to deprecate the excellent work already
done by pioneer scholars in opening these writers up to the West.
Often, however, their translations have not been kept in print or
available at prices most readers could afford. To give them much
wider circulation in the home and classroom than heretofore is the
aim of this series.
We are indebted to Professor Watson that he has been willing
to devote his considerable talents and learning to meet this need
for accurate translations of basic works. His translations of Mo
Tzu, Hsiin Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu have already appeared in
paperbound books that received wide distribution. They are now
being reissued in a clothbound edition as a result of numerous
requests for a single volume presenting the three together in more
durable form. The fourth volume in the original paperbound
series, Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings, is to be expanded and pub­
lished separately as a complete translation of the text of Chuang
Tzu.
WM. THEODORE DE BARY
OUTLINE OF EARLY CHINESE HISTORY
(Dates and entries before 841 b.c. are traditional)
B.C. Dynasty
2852 Fu Hsi, inventor of writing, fishing, trapping.
Culture
2737 Heroes Shen Nung, inventor of agriculture, commerce.
2697 Yellow Emperor.
2357 Yao.
Sage
2255 Shun.
Kings
2205 Yii, virtuous founder of dynasty.
l8l8 fHsia Chieh, degenerate terminator of dynasty.
I Dynasty
1766 King Tang, virtuous founder of dynasty.
I Shang
[c. 1300] or Yin [Beginning of archeological evidence.]
Dynasty
1154 Chou, degenerate terminator of dynasty.
Three
Dynasties King Wen, virtuous founder of dynasty.
King Wu, virtuous founder of dynasty.
1122
1115 "Western King Cheng, virtuous founder of dynasty.
Chou <
Chou (Duke of Chou, regent to King Cheng)
878 Dynasty King Li.
781 King Yu.
771
722 Spring and Autumn period (722-481).
551 Period of the “hundred philosophers” (551-c. 233): Confucius, Mo
Tzu, Lao Tzu (?), Mencius, Chuang Tzu, Hui Shih, Shang Yang,
Kung-sun Lung, Hsün Tzu, Han Fei Tzu.
403 Eastern Warring States period (403-221).
Chou
4th to Extensive wall-building and waterworks by Ch’in and other states.
3d cent.
Lü Pu-wei, prime minister of Ch’in.
249
221 Ch'in The First Emperor; Li Ssu, prime minister.
Dynasty
214 (221-207 B.C.) The Great Wall completed.