Research on Ancient Chinese Society: Including Two Other Works

Author: Guo Moruo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The 20th century has passed, and the history of China has experienced a century of transformation and innovation, a century of prosperity and abundance. The achievements of this century have been remarkable, with a generation of renowned scholars emerging, making it worthy of study and summary. The series "Major Works of Chinese History in the 20th Century" published by our press aims to systematically showcase the historical achievements of the last century by presenting the works of the most representative historians to the readers. "Studies on the Ancient Chinese Society" includes, in addition to the introduction, four main essays: individual studies on the Book of Changes, the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, oracle bone inscriptions, and bronze inscriptions. The Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, and the Book of Songs are ancient texts from over two thousand years ago, with mixed authenticity and unclear historical periods. Guo Moruo handled them with considerable caution, demonstrating his expertise in resolving doubts. For instance, the three essays Yao Dian, Gao Yao Mo, and Yu Gong were already identified as forgeries by previous scholars. Guo Moruo presented seven pieces of evidence to prove them as creations of Confucianism. Particularly in his interpretation of the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, and the Book of Songs, there are many novel and insightful analyses. For example, the once-mysterious Bagua (Eight Trigrams) were often subject to various misinterpretations by predecessors. Guo Moruo, however, found dual meanings of reproduction and mathematics within them, depicting a picture of real-life scenes from the hexagrams and line texts. His sharp thinking and innovative interpretations are evident throughout "Studies on the Ancient Chinese Society."