Biography of Yang Xiong

Author: Wang Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Yang Xiong was a renowned scholar of the late Western Han Dynasty who made outstanding contributions in various fields. He served in the courts of Emperor Xuan, Emperor Yuan, Emperor Cheng, Emperor Ai, Emperor Ping, and the Xin Dynasty, reaching the rank of Dafu. Throughout his life, he authored numerous works, demonstrating profound expertise in philosophy, literature, linguistics, and even astronomy, exerting a significant influence on later generations. This book begins by examining the historical context of the Western Han Dynasty and Yang Xiong's life, providing a detailed analysis of his academic legacy, life attitudes, and political views. It points out that Yang Xiong was a follower of the Confucian classics of the present text (Jinwen Jingxue), ideologically aligning with the ritualist faction within Jinwen Jingxue, but maintaining the characteristics of a folk scholar in his academic pursuits. Under the complex political conditions of his time, he chose a knowledge-seeking-oriented intellectual life, fully demonstrating his dialectical wisdom in life. Subsequently, the book comprehensively and meticulously elaborates on Yang Xiong's cosmology, theory of human nature, epistemology, political thought, as well as his views on education, history, and other fields. Finally, it introduces Yang Xiong's achievements in literary creation, literary theory, as well as in astronomy, linguistics, music, and other disciplines.