Biography of Yang Xiong

Author: Wang Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-12-01
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 wrote extensively and demonstrated 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 philosophy, and political stance. It points out that Yang Xiong primarily followed the Confucian school of textual studies (jinyin jingxue) and was ideologically close to the ritualist faction within it, yet he maintained 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.