On Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng: A Study of Academic Thought in the Mid-Qing Dynasty

Author: Yu Yingshi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng are two major peaks in the history of Qing Dynasty's academic and intellectual traditions. Their emergence, in the author's view, represents the rise of Confucian intellectualism in the Qing Dynasty and is a manifestation and logical outcome of the academic shift from "revering moral nature" to "pursuing learning through inquiry." The author argues that the rise of textual research in the Qing Dynasty cannot be fully understood by examining only external factors such as the Manchu conquest of China. The development and transformation of academic thought must also have its own "internal logical path." Starting from the academic relationship between Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng, the author meticulously analyzes the internal factors that led to the transition of Qing Dynasty Confucianism from Neo-Confucianism to textual research and the subsequent emergence of Dai and Zhang as major figures. Among the highlights that attract attention, apart from the controversial theory of the "academic logical path," the author's psychological analysis of Dai and Zhang is also very insightful. In fact, it could be said that the derivation of the "academic logical path" theory itself relies on the psychological perspective. The writing and publication of this book took place in the mid-1970s, and the current edition is the revised and expanded version. The revisions include: first, supplementing the discussion on Zhang Xuecheng's literary and historical theories based on newly discovered writings of Zhang Xuecheng; second, expanding the discussion on Song and Ming Dynasty Confucianism and the intellectual history of the Qing Dynasty, thereby strengthening the historical foundation of the book. The author's theory of the "internal logical path" has sparked significant controversy. After reading this book, readers not only gain a deeper understanding of the specific meaning of this theory and a unique perspective on the history of Qing Dynasty academic thought but also find inspiration to reflect on the numerous debates surrounding the modern value of Confucianism in the past decade.