This book illuminates the problem of women in Chinese philosophy through the lens of the lives and work of two contemporary Taiwanese female philosophers. It takes two approaches that have been relegated, quite unfairly, to the margins of dominant discourses. The first is concerned with the work of women philosophical theorists who are still overshadowed by their male colleagues, regardless of where they live, their theoretical potential, and the value of their research. The second approach is related to the question of the role of Taiwanese philosophy in maintaining the continuity of the Chinese intellectual tradition in the second half of the twentieth century. The book thus connects these two issues and provides a bridge linking them. Although discrimination against female philosophical theorists, on the one hand, and the failure to recognize the important contribution of Taiwanese philosophy to the development of modern Chinese philosophy, on the other, seem, at first glance, to have little in common, both harbor a problem that has its roots in discourses of exclusion emanating from the political, historical, and social inequalities associated with power structures.

Readings in Chinese Women's Philosophical and Feminist Thought gathers 40 original writings on women by 32 authors (many of whom are women) from the Yuan dynasty to the Republics, an important 700-year historical period during which women's learning in China blossomed as a result of economic prosperity, the development of commercial printing, and the interaction between East and West. Selections are made not only from canonical texts on women's virtues, but also from less orthodox literary works such as plays, poetry, novels, essays, and revolutionary writings that illuminate the lived experience of women and the perception of gender. With many texts translated into English for the first time, this reader provides the context needed to understand them. It features: - Chronologically organized readings in the sequence of the Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, and the Republics to demonstrate historical progression of thought (or the lack of) - Introductions to each section and chapter covering essential information about the authors and the cultural, historical, and philosophical background to their work - A chronology of dynasties, Republics, key events, and a map Recovering discourse so often neglected in discussion of Chinese thought, this is the first collection to pay special attention to women-authored works from the late 13th to the early 21st century. By bringing these readings together in a single volume, it juxtaposes and compares female and male perspectives from the same time and creates a new narrative of Chinese philosophical thought.

This collection of essays explores the resilience and relevance of an ancient yet still vital teaching, Confucianism, for the century ahead and beyond, finding in its many dimensions insights meaningful for the personal, ethical, socio-economic, and political challenges facing the global community and its best interests. Drawing on perspectives from the international scholarly community, the volume is multifaceted in its common goal of addressing contemporary issues in light of various Confucian teachings.

This collection contains 13 essays on modern and contemporary Taiwanese philosophy, written by outstanding scholars working in this field. It highlights the importance of Taiwanese philosophy in the second half of the 20th century. While the Chinese conceptual tradition (especially Confucianism) fell out of favor from the 1950s onwards and was often banned or at least severely criticized on the mainland, Taiwanese philosophers constantly strove to preserve and develop it. Many of them tried to modernize their own traditions through dialogs with Western thought, especially with the ideas of the European Enlightenment. However, it was not only about preserving tradition; in the second half of the 20th century, several complex and coherent philosophical systems emerged in Taiwan. The creation of these discourses is evidence of the great creativity and innovative power of many Taiwanese theorists, whose work is still largely unknown in the Western world.

"Readings in Chinese Women's Philosophical and Feminist Thought gathers 36 original writings on and by women in China from the Yuan dynasty through to the Republic, an important historical period when women's learning in China blossomed as a result of economic prosperity, development of commercial printing, and the interaction between the East and the West. Selections are made not only from canonical texts on women's virtue, but from less orthodox literary works such as plays, poetry, novels, essays, and revolutionary writings that illuminate the lived experience of women and the perception of gender. With many texts translated into English for the first time, this reader provides the groundwork needed to understand them. It features: - Chronologically organised readings in the sequence of the Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasties and the Republic(s) to demonstrate historical progression of thought (or the lack of) - Introductions to each sections covering the authors, and the historical background to their work - A chronology of dynasties and writers, maps and a glossary Recovering discourse so often neglected in discussion of Chinese thought, this is the first collection to pay special attention to women-authored works from the late 13th to the early 21st-century. By bringing these readings together in a single volume, it juxtaposes and compares female with male perspectives from the same time and creates a new narrative of Chinese philosophical thought"--

Taiwan's rapid socio-economic and political transformation has given rise to a gender-conscious middle class that is attempting to redefine the roles of women in society, to restructure relationship patterns, and to organize in groups outside the family unit. This book examines internal psychological processes and external societal processes as the feminist movement in Taiwan expands and new gender roles are explored. The contributors represent a cross section of different disciplines - history, anthropology, and sociology - and different generations of China/Taiwan scholars. They place the issues facing Taiwan's women's movement in social, political, and economic contexts. The book examines gender relations, the role of women in Chinese society, and issues related to women in China throughout history. Feminism and gender relations are also viewed from the context of film and literature. The authors look at the contemporary roles that women play in Taiwan's work force today, how the sexes perceive each other in the workplace, and more.

In the English-language publication market, this book is one of the earliest, and perhaps the first academic book focusing on Taiwanese women and gender issues from the late Qing Dynasty to the twenty-first century. It features the interrelations between cultural trends and women in Taiwan. In most current Western research and academic institution, Taiwanese studies deals with modern Taiwan since the Qing Dynasty or the Opium War to the contemporary era, and usually belongs to the division of Chinese studies or modern Chinese studies in the overall area of Asian studies. Historically and socioculturally, however, cultural dimensions in Taiwan are not exactly the same as those in mainland China and Hong Kong. This book sets itself apart by providing a bird's-eye view of gender issues impacted by diverse cultures in Taiwan from the Japanese colonial era to the present century.