The Objectionable Li Zhi

"[A] fascinating, multidisciplinary study of Li Zhi, a controversial, complex figure... a remarkable work"—Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews

"[O]ffers a worthy companion to the editors' earlier volume of selected translations of Li Zhi's writings."—Journal of Chinese Studies

"[A] mature contribution both to Li Zhi and late-Ming scholarship. Features of his life and writings are examined by knowledgeable Ming scholars who are able skillfully to shed light on him from the perspective of a body of scholarship for which each is known."—Journal of Chinese History

"The diverse and multifaceted scholarship presented in this volume not only mirrors Li Zhi's intellectual versatility, it also documents the wide margin that the discrepancies and inconsistencies in his thinking and writing leave for interpretation. Even though Li Zhi seemed "objectionable" to many of his contemporaries and some of those that came after him, this book convincingly demonstrates the value and perpetual significance of his thought. To all students of Li Zhi's life and thought and of late Ming intellectual history in general I do recommend this volume unreservedly."—Monumenta Serica

"Presents both a richly nuanced portrait of an extremely interesting man and an in-depth discussion of a fascinating time, using different disciplinary methods and sources. The scope of the work is in fact broader than this one man—we learn a lot about the Ming world."—Ann Waltner, University of Minnesota