Contents -- Prefatory note -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- Appendix: Evaluations of Dong Zhongshu in Western writings -- Chapter One The historical and intellectual background -- Chapter Two Dong Zhongshu's life and reputation -- Accounts in primary sources -- Dong Zhongshu as seen in subsequent writings -- Dong's reactions to his own times and his subsequent influence -- Summary -- Appendix -- 1. Chronological problems -- 2. A passage in the Lunheng -- Chapter Three Dong Zhongshu's writings -- The Three Rescripts and Responses -- Agriculture and taxation -- Relations with the Xiongnu -- Dong Zhongshu's fu -- A letter addressed to Gongsun Hong -- The imperial cults -- Decisions in legal cases -- Summary -- Appendix -- 1. The three responses -- Ban Gu's part -- 2. Treatment of the three responses in the Qian Han ji and the Zizhi tongjian -- 3. The Gu wen yuan -- 4. Land holdings -- Chapter Four Subjects discussed in Dong Zhongshu's writings -- The explanations of abnormalities -- The recruitment of officials -- training -- The foundation of schools -- The academicians and their pupils -- The Chunqiu -- Continuity and change: past and present -- Dong Zhongshu's attack on certain figures -- The promotion of Kongzi -- Control of the rain -- Su wang 素王 -- Yitong一統 -- Summary -- Appendix -- 1. Zhufu Yan's treatment of Dong Zhongshu -- 2. Dong Zhongshu and the kings -- 3. The authenticity of Lunheng 16 (47 'Luan long') -- 4. Seasonal differences in the ritual for seeking rain -- Chapter Five Textual transmission and authenticity of the Chunqiu fanlu -- The term fanlu -- Authorship and textual validity -- Prints and editions -- Hypothesis -- Appendix -- 1. Huang Zhen's examples of flawed argumentation -- 2. Readily available editions -- Chapter Six The chapters of the Chunqiu fanlu and their contents -- Diversity of subject matter.

Summary of subjects of pian nos. 1 to 82 -- Appendix -- 1. Pian 32 Dui Jiaoxi wang Yue dafu bu de wei ren -- 2. The terms quan 權 and jing 經 -- Chapter Seven Subjects and problems of the Chunqiu fanlu -- Yin Yang and Wu xing -- The imperial cults (jiao ) -- Substance (zhi ) and pattern (wen 文) -- The term yu ying 玉 -- The natural order (shu 數) of heaven -- Summary -- Chapter Eight Pian no. 23 of the Chunqiu fanlu 'San dai gai zhi zhi wen' 三代 改制 文 -- San tong 三統 -- The rulers of mythological history: San wang 三王, Wu di 五帝 and Jiu huang 九皇 -- The Gongyang zhuan and Woo Kang's interpretation -- The Baihu tong -- The Wei shu 緯書 -- Titles and ranks -- An ordinance and its date -- Summary -- Appendix: Translation of Chunqiu fanlu 23 'San dai gai zhi zhi wen' -- Chapter Nine Conclusion -- List of works cited -- Index.