Chinese Intellectual History

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1 Chinese Intellectual History
Seminar on Chinese Intellectual History 16. Dai Zhen: Confucianism in the 18th Century Chun-chieh Huang National Chair Professor National Taiwan University Research Fellow, Academia Sinica

2 I. Lecture Notes:

3 1. Introduction: 1:1. The statecraft thinking in late Ming and early
Qing served as a bridge between the Neo- Confucian idealism as represented by Wang Yangming and the Confucian sensationalism and intellectualism as represented by Dai Zhen.

4 1:2. Intellectual outlook of Qing China:
1) Revolt against Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, esp.  Zhu Xi orthodox A.D. 1313, Zhu Xi and Four Books  Attack Wang Yangming School, particularly "the left Wing of Wang Yangming School" as "empty learning"  solid learning

5 2) the flourishing of textual criticism that led to
the rise of Confucian intellectualism in 18th century Dai Zhen "inner logic" in the development of Neo- Confucianism e.g. Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming’s interpretation of the Great Learning

6 1:3. How is the rise of textual criticism in Qing
China best explained? Two different points of views: 1) The External School:

7 a. The political pressure of autocracy
Pei Huang, Autocracy at Work: The Yung-cheng Emperor, ╱"Secret Memorial" system ╲Grand Secretariate Scholar-officials suffered from "persecution phobia" → philological studies b. The rise of “petty bourgeois” class P.T. Ho, The Ladder of Success in Imperial China, Salt merchants patronized scholars

8 2) The Internal School: Yü Ying-shih: The “inner logic” of the development of Neo-Confucianism ╱Zhu Xi ╲Wang Yangming "return to the Classics" Dai Zhen was a focal point in determining the factors responsible for the rise of Confucian intellectualism in the 18th-century China.

9 2. From Dualism to Monism: Dai Zhen on the
Relationship between Li 理and Qi 氣 2:1. The concepts of li and qi in Song Neo- Confucianism: 1) In the regulative sense: These two concepts are used to explain the problem of "to be"

10 li — not tempro-spatially determined; universal;
it exists priori to qi qi — tempro-spatially determined; particular; a posteriori

11 2) In the normative sense: They are used to
explain the problem of "ought to be." qi = desire, human desire The central thrust of the distinction between "Heavenly Principle" and "human desire" lies in the problem of directionality, not the problem of content.

12  a) How to guide "human desire" so as to follow the li? 
Many problems involved:  Why is evil possible?  How to purify one's mind or intention?  "investigation of thing"  "plumbing of Principle"  "quiet-sitting"

13 b) When is the best time to do moral cultivation
( = purification of mind)? Before╲ or the feelings are aroused After ╱ Zhu Xi  Hunan School ∴ Generally, Song Neo-Confucians maintained the “ethical dualism” or “ontological dualism.”

14 2:2. Dai Zhen’s reinterpretation of li and qi:
1) Rejection of separation between li and qi Dai Zhen refused to regard li as the reality beyond qi. Li is to be found in qi. 

15 理者，察之而幾微必區以別之名也，是故為之分理。
"Li is a name given to the examination of the minutest details with which to make necessary distinction. This is why it is called the principle of distinction." (Chan, p. 711, #1, Sec. 1) 理者，察之而幾微必區以別之名也，是故為之分理。

16 理也者，情之不爽失也，未有情不得而理得者也。
"Principle consists of feelings that do not err. Principle can never prevail when [correct] feelings are not satisfied.“ 理也者，情之不爽失也，未有情不得而理得者也。

17 Philosophical implications:
Only qi is the real existence while li is the principle of qi. This reveals Dai Zhen's realism and sensationalism. 2) Rejection of the doctrine that li gives birth of qi. This is a logical corollary of Dai's realism.

18 The Principle as "being" in Song Neo-Confucianism:
Carriage —— "how to make wood to form spokes around hub so as to make a wheel"     the principle   qi li as "being" is independent (matter) (form) from Carriage as material force

19 Then, how can he justify his refutation of
Song Neo-Confucian bifurcation of li and qi?  lead to the strong sense of sociality in Dai's philosophy. After the Song times, "以理殺人"

20 Why? ∵ Zhu Xi school of Neo-Confucianism becomes the orthodox and a tool for the oppressive regime. ∴ Dai's attacks against Song Neo- Confucianism reveals the change of intellectual climate in 18th century China. ∴ From philosophical concern to socio-political concern

21 3. Dai's Treatment of the Problem of
“Heavenly Principle” and “Human Desire” 3:1 The socio-political concern in Dai Zhen’s philosophy becomes especially apparent in his rejection of the Song Neo-Confucian separation between “Heavenly Principle” and “Human Desire” and his argument of the unity of the two.

22 1) Song Neo-Confucian perspective on the
Heaven Principle and Human Desire: if Heavenly Principle = the existing political structure, this theory of bifurcation can be turned into a tool cast for serving the ruling class. 2) Dai Zhen’s perspective: Feelings (or desire) and Principle are one

23 4. Conclusion: Dai Zhen and the Rise of
Intellectualism in Modern East Asia 4:1.Dai Zhen was among the founders of the intellectual movement of textual criticism in the Qing times. 1) Commentary on the Meaning of Terms in the Book of Mencius （《孟子字義疏證》） 2) Inquiries into Goodness （《原善》）

24 Redefinition of Neo-Confucian thought in terms
of textual and philosophical studies.  opened a new flood gate for Qing scholars.  anti-Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism Why the rise of intellectualism?

25 4:2. The intellectual movement launched by Dai
Zhen in China was part of the general intellectual trends in modern East Asia. 1) Dai Zhen ( ) 2) Itô Jinsai 伊藤仁齋 ( ): Meanings of Terms in the Analects and the Book of Mencius （《語孟字義》） 3) Chong Da-san 丁茶山 ( ): Essential Meanings in the Book of Mencius （《孟子 要義》）

26 General Trends: 1) From Dualism to Monism 2) From “abstraction” to “concreteness”

27 II. Assignments:

28 ．Chan, Chapter 38, pp ．陳榮捷，下冊，卅八章，頁 ．勞思光，第三冊（下），第八章（B）， 頁

29 Discussion Questions:
III. Discussion Questions:

30 *1. Discuss Dai Zhen's critique of the Song Neo-
Confucianism. 2. How is Dai Zhen’s doctrine "feelings (or desire) and Principle are one" best understood?

31 IV. 討論問題

32 戴震與宋儒論「理」、「性」等概念有何差異？
戴震解釋《孟子》之方法論與人性論基礎有何特徵？得失如何？

33 V. 延伸閱讀

34 黃俊傑：《孟學思想史論》（卷二）（臺北：中央研究院中國文哲研究所，1997），第8章。
黃俊傑：《東亞文化交流中的儒家經典與理念》（臺北：臺大出版中心，2010），第3章。 余英時：《論戴震與章學誠》（臺北：華世出版社，1980）。

35 艾爾曼：〈18世紀中國經學的危機〉，收入陳弱水編：《中國史新論：思想史分冊》，頁393-407。
余英時：〈清代儒家智識主義的興起初論〉，收入余英時著；程嫩生，羅群等譯；何俊編：《人文與理性的中國》（台北：聯經出版公司，2008），頁 。 余英時：〈對17世紀中國思想轉變的闡釋（書評）〉，收入余英時著；程嫩生，羅群等譯；何俊編：《人文與理性的中國》(台北：聯經出版公司，2008），頁 。

36 余英時：〈戴震與朱熹傳統〉，收入余英時著；程嫩生，羅群等譯；何俊編： 《人文與理性的中國》（台北：聯經出版公司，2008），頁223-242。
余英時：〈戴震的選擇〉，收入余英時著；程嫩生，羅群等譯；何俊編：《人文與理性的中國》（台北：聯經出版公司，2008），頁 。 余英時：〈章學誠對抗戴震〉，收入余英時著；程嫩生，羅群等譯；何俊編： 《人文與理性的中國》（台北：聯經出版公司，2008），頁 。