Today’s Feature is a Book: The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About The Good Life by Michael Puett, Christine Gross-Loh (2016)

Enjoy the article below and this slideshare overview.

Harvard professor of Chinese History, Michael Puett, has taught thousands of students about the Chinese philosophies that emerged 2,500 years ago and spawned immense progress in Chinese infrastructure that enabled trade and prosperity (institutions, roads, laws, etc.). In good time, Europe learned from the Chinese and followed suit. With Christine Gross-Loh, an author who earned a Harvard PhD in East Asian history, we get a succinct translation and thoughtful ways to apply unconventional ideas.

These philosophies grew out of an era that had similarities to life today — huge and growing crises, reduced social mobility, people feeling unfulfilled and stuck, and reduced optimism. Then as now there was a sense that human society has lost its way and needs new approaches. Let’s explore five themes brought to us by Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Xunzi.