Justice and Harmony: Cross-Cultural Ideals in Conflict and Cooperation is a hugely intelligent book that has defined and found its proper measure. World philosopher Joshua Mason uses comparative cultural hermeneutics to unload the force of the familiar binary thinking that would cleave off good from right, and harmony from justice. In setting the grid for this archaeology of ideas, Mason brings in the heavy equipment of historical, philological, and philosophical research at their broadest compass to quarry the original texts and the relevant literature, and makes intelligible the nuanced meanings of these terms of art and their interpenetrating relationships.

Roger T. Ames, Peking University

In this impressive work of cross-cultural philosophizing, Joshua Mason ranges from ancient Greek and Chinese sources to modern Chinese, European, and American theorists. His charitable and nuanced readings support a creative articulation of our shared ideals in a fresh way that transcends linguistic, conceptual, and cultural dichotomies. We need not choose between justice and harmony, because when properly understood, zhenghe?? or just harmony is a realistic and realizable goal, growing out of the interplay between benhe?? (root harmony) and heyi?? (harmonic justice). Justice and Harmony is a model of how to be open to the insights of philosophical traditions from around the world—which is how we should all be striving to do philosophy today.

Stephen C. Angle, Wesleyan University

Mason offers a compelling and remarkable framework that broadens the encounter of justice and harmony at a multilevel away from an oppositional reduction, and towards a renewed mutually complementary and intertwined trinary of shared values in human endeavors and everyday living. With a witty, charming and accessible writing, inspiring both awe and humility, this is a valuable scholarly resource for thinking through increasing geopolitical frictions and beyond.

Robin R. Wang, Author of Yinyang: Heaven and Earth In Chinese Thought and Culture

Harmony and justice have often been seen as competing values. How to bridge their gap is one of the greatest philosophical challenges. Mason’s book is both informative and insightful. His tripartite construction of root harmony, harmonic justice and just harmony is a meaningful attempt to integrate harmony and justice. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in this important issue.

Chenyang Li, author of Reshaping Confucianism: A Progressive Inquiry

Through a contrastive framing of Western sources, comparative philosopher Joshua Mason shows the relevance and significance of a comparative and more inclusive approach to ethics and political philosophy by bringing forward a dialogic exposition with Chinese sources. With a replete thoroughness and clear and accessible writing, Mason educes a revitalization of “the terms of debate” that have exhausted the beaten path to the good life in Western philosophical discourse. Scholars and students alike will benefit from the direct encounter with Chinese philosophical thinking on harmony (he ?) and justice (??) that Justice and Harmony: Cross-Cultural Ideals in Conflict and Cooperation brings to its readers. Mason’s engagement with Chinese philosophy tills fertile ground for the augmentation and evolution of Western ethics and political philosophy while at the same time reflecting new light for the growth of Chinese and World philosophy.

David Jones, editor of Comparative and Continental Philosophy and co-author of The Fractal Self: Science, Philosophy, and the Evolution of Human Cooperation