Abstract

This is a comparative study of the Guodian texts Tang Yu zhi dao 唐虞之道 and Zhong xin zhi dao 忠信之道. The study takes certain formal similarities of both texts and a hypothesis on the early development of books in early China as a pretext to re-examine both manuscripts. The study has two aims: first, to examine the degree of argument cohesion in Tang Yu zhi dao and to juxtapose the structure of its argument with that of Zhong xin zhi dao. Second, to compare what distinguishes both manuscripts on the level of textual construction and argument, using this comparison to reflect on Sarah Allan’s idea of the gradual amalgamation of short textual portions into argumentation texts.