The Book of Lord Shang, by Yang Shang (introduction)

T h e B o o k of

LORD SHANG A P O L O G E T I C S O F S TAT E P OW E R I N E A R LY C H I N A

SH ANG YANG

EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY YURI PINES

ABRIDGED EDITION

INTRODUCTION

T

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4 PA RT I : I N T R O D U C T I O N

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Introduction 5

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compiLeD iN chiNA iN The fouRTh–ThiRD ceNTuRieS Bce, The Book of Lord Shang argues for a new powerful government to rule over society and turn every man into a diligent tiller and valiant soldier. The Book of Lord Shang’s intellectual boldness and surprisingly modern-looking ideas shine through. This abridged and revised edition of Yuri Pines’s annotated translation is ideal for newcomers to the book. Pines highlights the text’s influence on political thought and political practice in traditional and modern China.

— pAuL

R. GoLDiN , author of Confucianism

“This is a gem of a book! Pines casts new light on one of the most important works in Chinese political thought and transforms the ancient, somewhat obscure text into a surprisingly accessible and refreshing work of political philosophy. Pines’s careful rendition, which turns this ancient text into a classic philosophical work with relevance to today’s political landscape, is a great service for not only sinologists but also those in the general fields of political theory and philosophy.”

— choice

“It is to be hoped that Yuri Pines’s valuable translation, textual study, historical contextualization, and philosophical elucidation of this important but, somewhat inexplicably, neglected work of ancient Chinese political thought will rekindle scholarly interest in the intellectual architect of the Qin unification and in the impact of his thought during the early imperial era and beyond.”

— BuLLeTiN

of The SchooL of oRieNTAL AND AfRicAN STuDieS

ShANG yANG (d. 338 BCE) was a Chinese statesman and reformer active during the Warring States Period.

yuRi piNeS is Michael W. Lipson Professor of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His books include The Everlasting Empire: Traditional Chinese Political Culture and Its Enduring Legacy (2012) and Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era (2009).

T R A N S L AT I O N S f RO M T h E A S I A N C L A S S I C S

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS / NEw YORk

T h e B o o k o f Lo R D S h A N G

“No one in the world is more qualified than Yuri Pines to present this new translation of the infamous The Book of Lord Shang, which has both fascinated and repelled readers throughout Chinese history. Accompanied by a superbly informed study of Lord Shang’s place in his political context and the reliability of the text attributed to him, this is sure to be the standard translation for decades to come.”

Sh ang Yang

wINNER, 2017 ChOICE OUTSTANdINg ACAdEMIC TITLE

T h e B o o k of

LORD SHANG A p o Lo G e T i c S o f S TAT e p ow e R i N e A R Ly c h i N A

Sh ang Yang

eDiTeD AND TRANSLATeD By yuRi piNeS

Printed in the U.S.A.

cup.columbia.edu Cover design: Noah Arlow Cover image: China: An officer, from the terracotta army guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of a unified China (r. 246-221 BCE), Xi’an/Pictures from History/Bridgeman Images

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