Aristotle in China

The author explores the relation between language and thought, referring to a Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories.

In an exploration of the relation between language and thought, the author analyses linguistic relativism with reference to a Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. In so doing he addresses some key questions relating to philosophy, language and translation. His findings will fascinate scholars in the field and related disciplines.In this book, Robert Wardy, a philosopher and classicist, turns his attention to the relation between language and thought. He explores this huge topic in an analysis of linguistic relativism, with specific reference to a reading of the ming li t'an ('The Investigation of the Theory of Names'), a seventeenth-century Chinese translation of Aristotle's Categories. Throughout his investigation, Wardy addresses important questions. Do the basis structures of language shape the major thought-patterns of its native speakers? Could philosophy be guided and constrained by the language in which it is done? What factors, from grammar and logic to cultural and religious expectations, influence translation? And does Aristotle survive rendition into Chinese intact? His answers will fascinate philosphers, Sinologists, classicists, linguists and anthropologists, and will make a major contribution to the existing literature.