Alchemy and the Mindset of Scholars during the Wei and Jin Periods

Author: Luo Zongqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This small book was written intermittently over four years. With scarce historical materials and a vast span of time, it is indeed a challenging task to speculate on the mindset of medieval Chinese people from a modern perspective. One of the most significant aspects influencing the mindset of ancient Chinese scholars was the changes in political situations. In ancient China, there were many scholars who cherished the spirit of seclusion, but true recluses were few. The spirit of seclusion served as a for life, while true recluses had to endure solitude. Most scholars alternated between seclusion and official service, making them closely tied to political changes. Patriotism seemed to be an innate quality of Chinese scholars. "The sound of the wind, the sound of the rain, and the sound of reading—every sound enters the ear; the affairs of the family, the country, and the world—everything concerns us." This was said by the Donglin Party members in the late Ming Dynasty. Another important aspect influencing the mindset changes of ancient Chinese scholars was ideological trends. Authors often discuss the impact of ideological trends such as the Confucian orthodoxy of the Han and Tang dynasties, the metaphysics of the Wei and Jin periods, and the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties on scholars.