Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism: The Theme of Chaos (Hundun) First Three Pines Press Edition by N. J. Girardot 278 pp December 2008 ISBN-13 978-1-931483-10-0 Paperback. US$32.95     Add to Cart Table of Contents

Originally published by University of California Press in 1983 and re-issued in a paperback edition in 1988, Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism went out of print and the copyright reverted to the author. He has now updated the work and makes the book accessible again.

Description

Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism examines some of the earliest texts associated with the Daoist tradition (primarily the Daode jing, Zhuangzi, and Huainanzi) from the outlook of the comparative history of religions and finds a kind of thematic and soteriological unity rooted in the mythological symbolism of hundun, the primal chaos being and principle that is foundational for the philosophy and practice of the Dao as creatio continua in cosmic, social, and individual life.

Dedicated to the proposition that ancient Chinese texts and traditions are often best understood from a broad interdisciplinary and interpretive perspective, this work when it was written challenged many prevailing conceptions of the Daode jing and Zhuangzi as primarily "philosophical" texts without any religious significance or affinity with the later sectarian traditions. While controversial and at times playfully provocative, the methodology and findings of this book are still important for the ongoing scholarship about Daoism in China and the world.