ABSTRACT
Twenty-five centuries of Chinese philosophy fall into three periods-classical, middle, and modern-each with its own distinctive flavor. Disputation marked the philosophical activity of the classical period, roughly 525-206 B.C.E. (late Chou (Zhou)* and Ch’in (Qin) dynasties). Some of the most famous debates in the history of Chinese thought occurred then. Confucianism (present section) and Taoism (Daoism) (next section) are the legacies most valued from that era. Synthesis characterized the middle period, 206 B.C.E.–1644 C.E. (Han through Ming dynasties). Controversy persisted but was overshadowed by the emergence of systems combining and reconciling diverse viewpoints. Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism are outstanding examples of the synthetic tendency. The impact of Western thought stamps the modern period, 1644 to the present (Ch’ing (Qing) Dynasty, Republic of China, and People’s Republic of China). Chinese Marxism in Mainland China and the adaptation of Chinese philosophy to the contemporary Western philosophical scene overseas best illustrate the modern phase. Since the subjects of this section and the next-Confucianism and Taoism-are rooted in the classical period, additional background on that era will prove helpful.
