China History Podcast

A Hundred Schools of Thought

Part four in the History of Chinese Philosophy podcast series

Laszlo picks the story up where we left off in part two following the death of Master Kong in 479 BCE. A lot happened in the world of Chinese philosophy right after Confucius passed. He had both disciples who carried on his teachings, and naysayers who pointed to flaws in this Ru School of philosophy and offered an alternative kind of thought. As the countdown to the milestone year of 221 BCE gets nearer, a hundred schools of thought contended like never before, each offering their solutions to the tumultuous and bloody times of the latter half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty:

China History Podcast

Book of Ch-ch-ch-Changes

Part three in the History of Chinese Philosophy podcast series

Although covered before in an old China History Podcast episode, Laszlo takes the Yi Jing (I Ching, sometimes called the ‘Book of Changes’) off the shelf for a total makeover and freshening up. In this brief detour along the history timeline, Laszlo picks the Yi Jing apart and offers up both a history of this timeless classic as well as a brief intro about how it works and the role it plays in the life of some people. The Yi Jing is a book with a lot of staying power and has been kept as a handy reference guide for hundreds of millions of people over the millennia. Listen to what it's all about and see for yourself if the Yi Jing can serve you:

China History Podcast

There’s Something About Confucius

Part two in the History of Chinese Philosophy podcast series

In this second helping of Laszlo's overview of the history of Chinese philosophy, exclusive to the China Channel for a week before it goes up at the China History Podcast, the Great Sage himself is the center of focus. Arguably China's most famous citizen of all time, Confucius (and his disciples) created an ideology and political system that had incredible lasting power. Part two examines the stories surrounding Confucius's life  growing up and operating in the State of Lu during the last decades of the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou Dynasty. In addition to the trials and tribulations faced by Master Kong in his day, the basic tenets of Confucianism are introduced:

China History Podcast

The History of Chinese Philosophy

The first in a new podcast series from Laszlo Montgomery

“Study the past if you would define the future,” said Confucius, the best known but certainly not the only – and arguably not even the most important – ancient Chinese philosopher. We take those words to heart, and to that end are delighted to bring you an new episode of the China History Podcast, exclusive to the China Channel for this week, kicking off a nine-part series on the history of Chinese philosophy. Hosted by Laszlo Montgomery, the series will take us from pre-Confucian times right through to the Ming dynasty.Read our Q&A with Laszlo below for more details, and keep scrolling down for Laszlo’s infographic poster, compressing the essentials of Chinese philosophy into one image.

In this first episode, Laszlo does the groundwork, introducing the topic and talking about the origins of Chinese philosophy in the Eastern Zhou dynasty: