Description: Compiled in China in the fourth-third centuries BCE, The Book of Lord Shang argues for a new powerful government to rule over society. In Yuri Pines's translation, Shang's intellectual boldness and surprisingly modern-looking ideas shine through, underscoring the text's vibrant contribution to global political thought.
Review Quotes: A magisterial study and translation, this new edition of The Book of Lord Shang provides, finally, full access to one of the foundational texts of ancient Chinese political thought. Pines, the leading Western authority in the field, sets the standard of excellence for exploring the intellectual origins of the Chinese imperial state--and even the relevance of Lord Shang's ideas to China's political debates today.--Martin Kern, author of The Stele Inscriptions of Ch'in Shih-huang: Text and Ritual in Early Chinese Imperial Representation