Effortless Action: Wu-wei As Conceptual Metaphor and Spiritual Ideal in Early China

[We've been trying for 4 months to get Amazon to update the book description (which is several years out of date), to no avail, so direct action (as opposed to effortless action) seemed called for. Below is the actual book jacket description and back cover blurbs. The automated system forced me to rate the book in order to post this, so please ignore the 5 stars....]This book presents a systematic account of the role of the personal spiritual ideal of wu-wei-literally "no doing," but better rendered as "effortless action"-in early Chinese thought. Edward Slingerland's analysis shows that wu-wei represents the most general of a set of conceptual metaphors having to do with a state of effortless ease and unself-consciousness. This concept of effortlessness, he contends, serves as a common ideal for both Daoist and Confucian thinkers. He also argues that this concept contains within itself a conceptual tension that motivates the development of early Chinese thought: the so-called "paradox of wu-wei" or the question of how one can consciously "try not to try."Methodologically, this book represents a preliminary attempt to apply the contemporary theory of conceptual metaphor to the study of early Chinese thought. Although the focus is upon early China, both the subject matter and methodology have wider implications. The subject of wu-wei is relevant to anyone interested in later East Asian religious thought or in the so-called "virtue-ethics" tradition in the West. Moreover, the technique of conceptual metaphor analysis-along with the principle of "embodied realism" upon which it is based-provides an exciting new theoretical framework and methodological tool for the study of comparative thought, comparative religion, intellectual history, and even the humanities in general. Part of the purpose of this work is thus to help introduce scholars in the humanities and social sciences to this methodology, and provide an example of how it may be applied to a particular sub-field."Slingerland shows that wu-wei is a much richer and more pervasive notion than anyone has ever imagined. His work will convince even the most entrenched skeptic that it is an important and often neglected concern of just about every major religious thinker in early China." -Philip J. Ivanhoe, author of Confucian Moral Self Cultivation and Ethics in the Confucian Tradition"Edward Slingerland is one of a group of exciting and creative young scholars revolutionizing the study of Chinese history, culture, and religion by applying the recently developed tools of cognitive analysis, especially conceptual metaphor analysis. Effortless Action is a remarkable work that explores the meaning of the crucial concept of wu-wei in a depth never before achievable, showing how Chinese metaphorical thought forms a nexus around this most central of ideas. If you care about China, about its culture, history, and religion, you will find this book extremely enlightening. And if you are a humanist seeking a deeper understanding of culture and history, this book will open up new worlds to you." -George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics, UC Berkeley

Slingerland is one of several scholars (R. T. Ames, S. Cook, PJ Ivanhoe, E. Molgaard, J. Paper, V. Mair among others) reinvigorating Western scholarship on early Chinese thought. Readers of New Age interpretations steer aware from genuine scholarship, but perhaps they - and other general readers - should take a look at this book as a pathway to expertise on the field. The early texts in question, such as Kongzi's (Confucius') "Analects" and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) are hard to read and interepret. One reason that Slingerland manages to make them accessible is his focus on their central (spiritual) metaphors. As he argues, there is much that is universal in the structure of metaphors from any time or place. As an overview from a spiritual perspective, I strongly recommend this well-organized, thoughtful book.

Having watched several Utube videos and read his recent book (Trying not to Try) , I wanted more detail and scholarly references to his ideas. This earlier book contained more detailed information and met these criterion. Well worth the purchase!

Arrived quickly, just as described!

he writes in boxes within boxes and your let with a box. i believe he does not understand wu wei. very dry, straight line talking. trying to fill up the pages to make a book. waste of money

The Chinese term we-wei (effortless action) is whence a French economist derived the term laissez-faire.

Inspirational

Addresses a Chinese philosophical concept that is eternal.

Although I take issue with his use of the (umbrella) term "wuwei" to refer to a sagely way of being espoused in numerous 2300 year-old Chinese texts - in passages not even using the term (yes: I plead guilty of what Slingerland calls "concordance fixation"), this book is nevertheless a must-read for anyone interested in early Chinese "philosophy." Some things he asserts are debatable, but that is true of every book. Enjoy.

One star for the book as a physical item delivered to me. This is in no way a review of the text. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I can't wait to get into it. Intriguing subject matter.This book is a print on demand title that was not listed as such. It is poorly printed on cheap printer paper. The covers are cheaply printed too (looks like a low resolution image of a sharply defined original).Print on demand needn't be poor quality. I have books printed by Amazon at Marston Gate UK that are beautiful, so good results are possible. I also got a book printed at Marston Gate that was horrendously/wrongly printed and very cheap. This one was printed in Germany. Please start using proper paper and printing methods for all your print on demand titles. Consistent results should be possible. Print and paper quality really matter. Returns are wasteful of time and resources.