Konceptualizacja pojęcia państwa we wczesnych pismach konfucjańskich: Józef Pawłowski „Państwo” we wczesnej filozofii konfucjańskiej

In the review article, we critically comment on the book “State” in Early Confucian Philosophy („Państwo” we wczesnej filozofii konfucjańskiej, 2010) written by Józef Pawłowski. After a brief recapitulation of main theses of the book (1), we show advantages and disadvantages of philological methodology used in the book (2). There are many controversial theses in the book. Our critique concerns two areas: theses dealing with theory of early Chinese state (3) and theses concerning history of legal thought in Confucianism (4). In our opinion, the title of the book is inadequate. It should read: “The Concept of State in Early Works of Confucianism”. Such a title would emphasize philological aspect of the book, which contains many original analyzes that will be helpful in further Polish-Chinese legal studies. The book, however, lacks elements of legal theory and sociology, and its philosophical background is limited.