Description: Examines questions of cosmos, society, and self through the metaphors and language of ancient Chinese texts and artifacts.
Review Quotes:
"...this book explores metaphors and meaning through both unearthed and handed-down documents, expanding Sarah Allan's thoughts on water and plant metaphors, and revealing multifaceted meanings of early Chinese thought. It is highly recommended for students and scholars of early Chinese texts, culture, and thought." - Religious Studies Review
"...this is an eclectic selection of articles by a number of good scholars. The wide range of the topics is itself a testament to how wide-ranging Allan's research has been and continues to be." - Journal of Chinese History
"Metaphor and Meaning speaks to important issues regarding the nature of religious belief, political philosophy, food and ritual, and other issues that are of high importance in understanding the history of early China. While the essays address different aspects of thought and culture from Chinese sources, they share a common interest in uncovering early worldviews, and use complementary methodologies in interpreting early sources. Their placement in a single volume offers the reader a rare opportunity to see in proximity important examples of research that speak to a common set of questions as well as diverse but complementary research approaches." - Shana J. Brown, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa