The Philosophy of Change

An analysis of the philosophy of the Yijing in comparison to modern Western philosophies.

In The Philosophy of Change, the distinguished scholar of Chinese philosophy Chung-ying Cheng advances our understanding of the Yijing by analyzing its philosophy in comparison to Western philosophical traditions. Cheng focuses on critically comparing philosophies of science, religion, and metaphysics in Leibniz, Whitehead, Neville, and Cobb alongside classical Chinese views on reality, divinity, knowledge, and morality. The book begins and ends with questions related to the character of Chinese metaphysical traditions, which contrast with the mainline metaphysical traditions found in Western Europe and North America. Cheng argues throughout the book that the philosophical underpinnings of basic concepts in Chinese culture are ultimately rooted in key claims found within the Yijing易經and one of its standard commentaries, the Yizhuan易傳. The book serves as a complementary volume to the author’s previous book, The Primary Way: Philosophy of the Yijing, which lays out a comprehensive and systematic philosophy based on the symbolism and text of the classical document and its traditional commentaries.

Author Biography

Chung-ying Cheng is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hawai’i. His many books include New Dimensions of Confucian and Neo-Confucian Philosophy and The Primary Way: Philosophy of Yijing, both also published by SUNY Press.