This book claims that the ways in which “sameness” and “difference” are conceived in Chinese philosophies differ from how they are conceived in Western philosophies. If this claim is true, then it would be difficult to overstate its ramifications. It would not just illuminate some obscure corner of the Chinese tradition, but would reveal something about its entire logical and ontological orientation, the general assumptions upon which all of its thinking is based. Brook Ziporyn understands the significance of this claim and appreciates its ramifications. He also understands that other scholars, notably David Hall, Roger Ames, and Chad Hansen, have defended similarly comprehensive claims before. Ziporyn advances his position “largely by expanding on their premises” (p. 55) and succeeds in presenting several novel conclusions and insights.
Ziporyn's project is guided specifically by the meaning of the term li 理, which he translates as “coherence.” Li is a term that comes...
