A few questions about Chinese Philosophical history

I'm asking this because I'm not too knowledgeable about chinese history and chinese philosophical history in particular, and I'd love to change that.

1. Was Chinese philosophy more diverse during the 'hundred schools of thought' period than in subsequent periods?

2. is there any truth in the assumption that mainstream Chinese philosophy was more collectivist/anti-individualist, or is this an orientalist myth?

3. Is there any comparison to be drawn between ancient chinese religion/philosophy and ancient grecco-roman religion/philosophy? Specifically the nature of god/s and man's role in the world.

Lastly, if there are any books I can read on the subject I would love to hear about them. thanks in advance!
 
1. Was Chinese philosophy more diverse during the 'hundred schools of thought' period than in subsequent periods?
In advance, the answer to all of these questions is yes and no. But I will try to explain why.

Firstly, whilst the hundred schools era was of course incredibly diverse, latter periods were still very diverse, just usually within traditions. I.e. a buddhist philosopher in China during the Yuan period could advocate anything from a radical skepticism and phenomenological view of the self, to having concrete souls with a very literal transmigration of said souls as individuals.
The difficulty with a lot of east Asian philosphy is that philosophies tend to be bound within one of the great religions, though the content itself was not always in relation to that religion.
Meanwhile, China had at various points very strong exposure to a wide number of diffierent philosophies and religions from travellers and traders, engagement with those ideas being present within chinese philosophy all the way to the Qing era.

2. is there any truth in the assumption that mainstream Chinese philosophy was more collectivist/anti-individualist, or is this an orientalist myth?
It's more that east/southeast asian philosophy doesnt work on the same paradigms. In western thought, the self is a very binary position (me, not me) where the above region had two ondependent sources of Emptiness/Sunyatta to draw upon.
What this means is a (in my opinion far more accurate) version of the self with a degree of fluidity between what is and what is not yourself. There is a hell of a lot to unpack with this, but a fun modern example of the fluid sense of identity is around when wr play video games, more commonly saying "I died" when your avatar dies.

3. Is there any comparison to be drawn between ancient chinese religion/philosophy and ancient grecco-roman religion/philosophy? Specifically the nature of god/s and man's role in the world.
Earlier, sure, but in more abstract terms as time went on. There are some interesting later works however, like the Confucian muslims.
Lastly, if there are any books I can read on the subject I would love to hear about them. thanks in advance!
My speciality is more centred on Buddhism, but if you search for "annotated" and then holy book, its a good place to start.
 
I'm asking this because I'm not too knowledgeable about chinese history and chinese philosophical history in particular, and I'd love to change that.

1. Was Chinese philosophy more diverse during the 'hundred schools of thought' period than in subsequent periods?

2. is there any truth in the assumption that mainstream Chinese philosophy was more collectivist/anti-individualist, or is this an orientalist myth?

3. Is there any comparison to be drawn between ancient chinese religion/philosophy and ancient grecco-roman religion/philosophy? Specifically the nature of god/s and man's role in the world.

Lastly, if there are any books I can read on the subject I would love to hear about them. thanks in advance!

2 State coopted Confucianism and Legalism are not the end all be all of Chinese Philosophy. Taoism is less caught up in state rituals and social hierarchy, Buddhism you still have to worry about your individual actions towards others.
 
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