Guiguzi, China's first treatise on rhetoric : a critical translation and commentary / translated by Hui Wu ; with commentaries by Hui Wu and C. Jan Swearingen.

Author
Guiguzi, active 4th century B.C. [Browse]
Uniform title
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, [2016]
Description
xi, 180 pages ; 23 cm.

Details

Subject(s)
Translator
Writer of added commentary
Series
Landmarks in rhetoric and public address. [More in this series]
Summary note
When Gorgias, Plato, and Aristotle were discussing and defining rhetoric in ancient Greece, many students in China, including Sun Bin, a descendent of Sun Tzu, who wrote The Art of War, were learning the techniques of persuasion from Guiguzi, "the Master of the Ghost Valley." This pre-Qin dynasty recluse provided the basis for what is considered the earliest Chinese treatise devoted entirely to the art of persuasion. Called Guiguzi after its author, this translation of the received text provides an indigenous rhetorical theory and key persuasive strategies, some of which are still used by those involved in decision making and negotiations in China today. In "Guiguzi," China's First Treatise on Rhetoric, Hui Wu and C. Jan Swearingen present a new critical translation of this foundational work, which has great historical significance for the study of Chinese rhetoric and communication and yet is little known to Western readers. Wu's translation includes footnotes that incorporate both past and present scholarly commentary, and is accompanied by a prefatory introduction that situates Guiguzi in the sociopolitical and cultural realities of ancient China, and a glossary of rhetorical terms used in the treatise. Swearingen presents a comparative study suggesting the similarities and differences between emerging Greek and Chinese rhetorics during the same period, including the cultural contexts of warring states and emergent empires that surrounded each. --Publisher description.
Notes
Translated from the Chinese.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Action note
Committed to retain in perpetuity — ReCAP Shared Collection (HUL)
Other title(s)
  • China's first treatise on rhetoric
  • Project Muse UPCC books.
ISBN
  • 9780809335268 (paperback)
  • 0809335263 (paperback)
LCCN
^^2016001961
OCLC
929544278
RCP
H - S
Statement on responsible collection description
Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...