Yin Yang Face -- An Ecological Study of Traditional Chinese Intellectuals

Author: Ke Ping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: "The Yin-Yang Faces" contains sixteen essays, which are actually case studies of sixteen traditional scholars. Why were their fates so similar? What was the difference between them and modern intellectuals—where did they stop at the threshold of history? The author strives to place the sixteen famous figures back into their historical context, revealing the historical inevitability in their personalities. The scholars and literati featured in "The Yin-Yang Faces" have diverse personalities. Most of them were exceptionally talented; yet, in today's perspective, they also exhibited such obvious personal weaknesses. Gong Zizhen boasted about his romantic encounters in a vain manner, Zheng Banqiao profited by putting on airs, Huang Zhongze indulged in his own irascibility due to his talent, Liu Yazi sought official positions with arrogance, and from Gu Bi to Yuan Hongdao, they were all eager to curry favor with high-ranking officials. Wu Meicun and Zhao Mengfu eventually went from being relic scholars of the previous dynasty to shamelessly serving the enemy. In summary, the lives of many literati were intricately connected with political power. Whether they longed for or were disappointed in it, whether they or disdainfully rejected it, political power remained an unavoidable center of their lives. Their lives had to be defined by their relationship with political power. Taking imperial examinations, kowtowing to beg for recommendation letters from prominent figures, obtaining official positions with arrogance, resigning in disgrace from the officialdom, seeking solace in nature, being cynical about the world, associating with courtesans and entertainers, or taking refuge in monks, Taoists, and wine—many traditional literati essentially lived within this cycle. This kind of life has formed a dual structure. Dominating this structure is a well-known saying: "When prosperous, serve the world; when in poverty, cultivate oneself." Whether in office or in exile, in the court or in the wilderness, there is no other path beyond this duality. This is the entire chessboard of the lives of traditional literati.