Academic Thoughts and Figures

Author: Liu Mengxi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: "To think freely is better than to die," this famous quote by Chen, applies equally to evaluating Wang and evaluating Chen, as if they were perfectly matched. One might ask: Did Wang and Chen say there were no limitations? This depends on the standards and methods you use to view past academic figures. Chen Yinque said, "One must have understanding and sympathy for the doctrines of the ancients before writing about them." He also added, "The material we can rely on today is merely a small part of what was left behind. To glimpse the entire structure through these remaining fragments, one must possess the artistic appreciation for ancient paintings and sculptures, as well as the spirit required to truly understand the intentions and objects of the ancients' doctrines."