Research on the Four Disciples of the Pre-Qin School of Names

Author: Zhu Qianhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: The School of Names was a pre-Qin philosophical school dedicated to studying issues of logic and naming. Its prominent figures include Deng Xi, Yin Wen, Hui Shi, and Gongsun Long. However, there has been considerable debate throughout history regarding the existence of the School of Names. This book examines the pre-Qin School of Names as a distinct philosophical tradition, arguing that their fundamental difference from other schools lies in their focus on "specializing in names." The author employs semiotic methods to analyze the thinking methods and logical ideas of four key figures from the pre-Qin School of Names—Gongsun Long, Hui Shi, Deng Xi, and Yin Wen—and proposes unique interpretive approaches to famous arguments such as "White horses are not horses" and "Contracting differences and separating hardness and whiteness." This book contributes to clarifying and advancing the understanding and research of ancient Chinese philosophical methodology, thereby enriching the construction of the history of Chinese logic.