Timing and Rulership in Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals (Lushi Chunqiu)

Master L 's Spring and Autumn Annals (L shi chunqiu) inspired the king who united the warring states to become China's first emperor. In this work on the L shi chunqiu, author James D. Sellmann finds that the concept of "proper timing" makes the work's diverse philosophies coherent. He discusses the life and times of its author, L Buwei, and the structure of the work. Sellmann also analyzes the role of human nature, the justification of the state, and the significance of cosmic, historical, and personal timing in the L shi chunqiu. An organic instrumentalist position begins to emerge from the diverse theories of the L shi chunqiu. In conclusion, Sellmann looks at the implications of the syncretic philosophies of the L shi chunqiu for contemporary conceptions of time, human nature, political order, and social and environmental ethics.