From the back cover: "The twelve essays in this volume are a selection from the thirty-five which make up three volumes on Confucianism published over the last several years: CONFUCIANISM IN ACTION, THE CONFUCIAN PERSUASION, and CONFUCIAN PERSONALITIES. The selection was made on the basis of recommendations from all the authors who contributed to the three volumes. Each of the studies is by a leading scholar: Benjamin Schwartz, Hui-chen Wang Liu, Charles O. Hucker, Joseph R. Levenson, Hans H. Frankel, Gung-wu Wang, Hellmut Wilhelm, Arthur F. Wright, James F. Cahill, Robert Ruhlmann, David S. Nivinson, Frederick W. Mote.

Professor Wright, in his new introduction, says in summary that these essays 'are meant to illustrate the effects of the Confucian world view and its associated patterns of behavior on the development of Chinese civilization. They also suggest the Confucian tradition's capacity for adaptation, as well as something of its inner variety . . . Confucianism provided the normative ideas that brought Chinese society back, again and again, to long periods of stability, and creative achievement. As the central tradition of the massive human achievement that we call Chinese civilization, it deserves our attention and respect.'"