DOI
10.2307/605537
Abstract
A. C. Graham's Later Mohist Logic, Ethics, and Sciences (1978) is the only Western-language translation of the obscure and textually corrupt chapters of the Mozi that purportedly constitute the foundations of ancient Chinese logic. Graham's presentation and interpretation of this difficult material has been largely accepted by scholars. This article questions the soundness of Graham's reconstruction of these chapters (the so-called "Neo-Mohist Canons"). Upon close examination, problems are revealed in both the structure and the content of the framework Graham uses to interpret the Canons. Without a more reliable framework for interpreting the text, it seems best to remain skeptical about claims that the Canons represent evidence for the study of logic in early China.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1999
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 1999 American Oriental Society. This article first appeared in Journal of the American Oriental Society 119:1 (1999), 1-11.
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Recommended Citation
Geaney, Jane M. "A Critique of A. C. Graham's Reconstruction of the "Neo-Mohist Canons"" Journal of the American Oriental Society 119, no. 1 (1999): 1-11. doi:10.2307/605537.