Wang Chong and His Literary Thought

Author: Wang Zhili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Wang Chong was a famous philosopher in the early Eastern Han Dynasty and one of the most skeptical thinkers in ancient China. He left behind a masterpiece for future generations——《Lunheng》, which contains rich philosophical and literary ideas. Based on previous research, this book aims to conduct a systematic study of Wang Chong's life and personality, the creative motivations behind 《Lunheng》, and his literary thought. Wang Chong's literary thought is deeply intertwined with his philosophical ideas, which means it is necessary to explore the literary ideas and theories in 《Lunheng》 through his philosophical thought. Therefore, this book cannot completely separate the two. Before delving into the exploration of Wang Chong and his literary thought, it is necessary to review and summarize the research status of his thought (including literary thought) and 《Lunheng》. Academic research often involves certain emotional elements, and the author greatly admires Wang Chong as a person. He believes that under the harsh rule of long-term feudal autocracy in Chinese history, individuals with independent skeptical thoughts were quite rare, and Wang Chong was one of the outstanding figures among them. Compared to Wang Chong, the countless followers who blindly followed the crowd lacked the spirit of skepticism and the courage for critique. Some rigidly adhered to ancient teachings without daring to step beyond the bounds, while others curry favor with the world, indifferent to right or wrong and seeking no truth. Wang Chong's doctrines of "resisting teachers" and "attacking sages" inspired progressive thinkers throughout the ages, guiding them to stay ahead of their time.