The Complete Guide to Strategic Minds

Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Ancient Chinese Wisdom is a collection of accounts of wisdom from across the ages, compiled in his later years by Feng Menglong, a writer of the late Ming Dynasty. It is hailed as an “encyclopedia of Eastern wisdom.” In an era of turmoil at court, Feng Menglong set out to “use wisdom to serve the world.” He surveyed the classics and histories, as well as unofficial accounts and popular lore, collecting stories of wisdom from the pre-Qin period through the Ming Dynasty. The result was a work spanning a thousand years and covering every walk of life.

Practicality forms the book’s backbone, while moral principle is its soul. It is divided into ten sections, including Superior Wisdom, Clear-Sighted Wisdom, Discerning Wisdom, and Bold Wisdom, each further divided into categories that build on one another in a logical progression. Its contents range from the strategies used by emperors and ministers to govern a state, to the ways civil and military officials adapt to changing circumstances. It also includes the streetwise resourcefulness of ordinary people, and even breaks new ground with a section on “Women’s Wisdom,” recording women’s clever deeds and challenging conventional prejudice.

Feng Menglong upheld the principle that “wisdom must begin with virtue.” He rejected the petty cleverness of benefiting oneself at others’ expense and praised the greater wisdom that balances moral principle with practical results. This makes the book more than a mere manual of strategy: it also offers profound ideas. Though more than three hundred years have passed, its ways of examining issues from different angles and judging the moment remain relevant, offering enduring wisdom for modern readers in their conduct and decision-making.