Biography of Zhang Heng

Author: Xu Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-01-01
Features: Zhang Heng was a renowned thinker, scientist, and litterateur in the mid Eastern Han Dynasty. Unbound by the narrow-mindedness of Han Dynasty Confucianism and the heavy constraints of scholarly rigor, he pursued his life and studies with his own character and methods. He was both broad and profound, making outstanding contributions in philosophy, political science, astronomy, seismology, meteorology, as well as mechanical manufacturing and poetic composition. He became a rare "all-rounder" in the history of Chinese culture and thought. This book breaks away from the previous one-sided (scientific or literary) research methods, focusing on the historical facts of the Eastern Han Dynasty and Zhang Heng's life. Through a comprehensive examination of his achievements in science, literature, and other fields, it offers an in-depth and insightful analysis, aiming to reveal his intellectual characteristics and establish his historical significance. The book specifically discusses the avoidance of arrogance to prevent an unbalanced evaluation of Zhang Heng's academic accomplishments; it adopts a novel research perspective to explore the new ideas and spirit he demonstrated in navigating between Confucianism and metaphysics.