The Analects of Dasan, Volume I

"Tasan's commentaries are extremely insightful also for a better grasp of the wider commentarial tradition. Kim's annotated translation remains of the highest quality. His explanations are perceptive and erudite." -- Lukas Pokorny, Religious Studies Review "Every chapter is followed by the selected commentaries, supplemented and refuted by Tasan, upon which Kim in turn provides perceptive expositions." -- Lukas Pokorny, Religious Studies Review, Vol 46, no 1 "Kim succinctly discusses the evolution of Tasan scholarship, the NKC 's genesis and contents, as well as Tasan's overall neo-Confucian thought, which he calls "Learning of Practical Principle"." -- Lukas Pokorny, University of Vienna, Religious Studies Review "The various materials of each chapter- the original text of the Analects, Dasan's grounds, arguments, and notes- are edited in such a clear manner that readers can comfortably peruse an entire chapter's meaning from various viewpoints." --Philosophy East and West "What Hongkyung Kim does in this book is to expound the deeper and authentic meaning of 'practical learning' by going back to Confucius' Analects." --Acta Koreana "I wholeheartedly applaud Hongkyung Kim's indispensable contribution to this volume... This book is indispensable for understanding not only Dasan's commentary on the Analects but also Dasan's philosophical ideas and spiritual orientation." -- Young-Chan Ro, Acta Koreana "This translation is significant, providing scholars interested in the Analects, Korean Confucianism, and Confucianism in general an important resource. Dasan has his own unique interpretation of the Analects, either by siding with one of the traditional interpretations or by providing an unprecedented interpretation. So it is an important text to understand Dasan's own understanding of the Analects, Dasan's own philosophy, and the Analects itself. Kim gives more than mere translation. He also provides a commentary, which...not only summarizes Dasan's view, but often situates it in the historical context in which Dasan is writing, including his exchanges on the relevant passages with his contemporaries. While there is an abundance of English translations...there has not been a comprehensive English translation of the text including its long and rich commentary tradition until now." -- Huang Yong, Professor, Department of Philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong "Hongkyung Kim's translation and commentary is an important step toward introducing the writings of one of the most outstanding thinkers in Korean history...revealing not only Dasan's breadth of knowledge ranging over two millennia worth of commentaries on the Analects, but also Kim's own deep knowledge of the history of Confucianism and Korean intellectual history. Kim begins with an excellent scholarly introduction that helps readers unfamiliar with Dasan understand his importance in Korean intellectual history...Even seasoned readers of the Analects will find novel insights in this book...Given the outstanding quality of both the translation and commentary, all scholars with an interest in deepening their understanding of the Analects, Confucianism, and East Asian philosophy more generally should eagerly anticipate the completion of this project. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in these topics." -- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "The primary contribution of this translation, besides its readability, is the insight it provides into Dasan's thinking...[contributes] to a better understanding in the Western world of one of Korea's greatest moral philosophers." -- Reading Religion