Southern Song literati and factional struggles

Author: Shen Songqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The factional struggles during the Southern Song Dynasty were the primary manifestation of its politics. Centered around this axis, multi-dimensional cultural activities exhibited structural interactions. This interaction not only determined the cultural character and political fate of scholars and literati but also profoundly influenced the development of academia and literature. The content is rich and extremely intricate and complex. To grasp it deeply and provide reasonable interpretations is undoubtedly challenging. The author first reveals that factional struggles during the Southern Song Dynasty were the main manifestation of its politics and an axis in its multi-dimensional cultural activities, comprehensively analyzing the structural interactions that arose around this axis. The manuscript delves into the conflicts over the war and peace between Song and Jin, the debates between Neo-Confucianism and anti-Neo-Confucianism, and the fate and trajectory of literature, elevating them from traditional models to the level of factional struggles for in-depth analysis. It provides new perspectives for the study of Southern Song political history, the history of Neo-Confucianism, and literary history, expanding the previously limited academic horizons. Furthermore, the revelation of the ecological environment of Neo-Confucianism and literature, along with the critique of practices such as betrayal and flattery among scholars, holds special practical significance.