Heng Tan: A Biography of Wang Chong by Huang Tan

Author: Zhong Zhaopeng, Zhou Guidiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1993-11-01
Features: Huantan was a famous materialist philosopher during the Han Dynasty. His main work, "Xin Lun" (New Treatises), 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 metaphor of the candlelight of 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 Huantan's life and works, as well as a systematic analysis of his philosophical, political, and aesthetic thoughts. Huantan'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 Huantan and Wang Chong.