Huan Tan Wang Chong: A Critical Biography

Author: Zhong Zhao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-03-01
Features: Hu Tan was a famous materialist philosopher during the Han Dynasty. His main work, "New Discourses," was lost after the Song Dynasty, and only about 30,000 words of its fragments remain today. He criticized the prevailing Confucian texts, divination, and secular superstitions such as sacrifices and prayers. His brilliant ideas, such as the analogy of the candlelight between form and spirit, the argument against the existence of ghosts, and the denial of immortality, have been preserved. This biography provides a detailed examination of Hu Tan's life and works, systematically analyzing his philosophical, political, and aesthetic thoughts. Hu Tan's ideas directly influenced Wang Chong, a great materialist philosopher of the Han Dynasty, who highly regarded and praised him. This biography also argues the relationship between Hu Tan and Wang Chong.