On Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng

Author: Yu Yingshi
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng are two major peaks in the history of Qing Dynasty academic thought and intellectual history. 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 change 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. Among the most notable aspects, aside 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 is precisely due to the from psychological states. The writing and first printing of this book took place in the mid-1970s, and the current printing is an enlarged and revised edition. The revisions include: first, supplementing the discussion of Zhang Xuecheng's literary and historical theories in the book based on newly discovered writings of Zhang Xuecheng; second, supplementing the discussion of Song and Ming Dynasty Confucianism and the intellectual history of the Qing Dynasty, thereby strengthening the historical foundation of the book's arguments. The author's theory of the "internal logical path" has sparked considerable controversy. After reading this book, readers not only gain a deeper understanding of the specific meaning of this theory but also provide a unique perspective for understanding the history of Qing Dynasty academic thought. Moreover, it inspires us to reflect on the many debates surrounding the modern value of Confucianism in the past decade.