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Lunheng

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Lunheng
Traditional Chinese《LuậnHành》
Simplified Chinese《LuậnHành》
Literal meaningDiscourses in the Balance

TheLunheng,also known bynumerous English translations,is a wide-rangingChinese classic textbyWang Chong(27 –c. 100). First published in 80, it contains critical essays onnatural scienceandChinese mythology,philosophy,andliterature.

Name[edit]

The titleLunhengcombineslunLuậnorLuận"discuss; talk about; discourse; decide on; determine; mention; regard; consider" andhengHành"crosswise; balance beam; weigh; measure; judge; appreciate". English translations of the title include "Disquisitions" (Alfred Forke), "Critical Essays" (Feng Yu-lan),[1]"The Balanced Inquiries" (Wing-tsit Chan),[2]or "Discourses Weighed in the Balance" (Joseph Needham).

Text[edit]

The receivedLunhengcomprises 85pianThiên"articles; sections; chapters" in 30juanQuyển"scrolls; volumes; books", with more than 200,000characters.Actually, 84pianis more accurate because the text only contains the title of Chapter 44ZhaozhiThu nhận.

Yang Wenchang ( dương văn xương ) edited the first printedLunhengedition, which was the basis for subsequent editions. Its 1045 preface notes that Yang compared 2 complete and 7 partial textual copies and corrected 11,259 characters.

"No commentaries to theLun hengappear to have been written before the nineteenth century, "write Pokora and Loewe,[3]which is unusual among Chinese classics. The firstLunhengcommentators wereYu Yue(1821–1907),Sun Yirang(1848–1908), andYang Shoujing(1839–1915).

History[edit]

Based on internal evidence, Forke concludes theLater Han dynastyLunhengtext "must date" from the years 76–84.[4]Chapter 38 ( tề thế "The Equality of the Ages"[5]) says, "Our present sage and enlightened sovereign is continuing the blessings and the prosperity of the reigns of"Emperor Guangwu(r. 25–57) andEmperor Ming(r. 58–75), which implies the period ofEmperor Zhang(r. 75–88). Chapter 30 ( giảng thụy "Arguments on Ominous Creatures" ),[6]notes it was completed during theJianchuKiến sơera(76–84).

Feng notes theLunheng"was probably completed" during the years 82 and 83.[7]"The authenticity of the work has not been brought into question", write Pokora and Loewe,[8]and the text "may possibly have been completed between 70 and 80", based upon collections of Wang's earlier writings or essays.

Content[edit]

The contents of theLunhengare summarized by Pokora and Loewe.

In discussing natural phenomena and their implications or causes, matters of popular belief and misconception and political issues, the book is often written in polemical form. A controversial statement is made, to be followed by the author's critical rebuttal, which is often supported by quotations from earlier writings. In many ways theLun hengmay be regarded as an encyclopaedic collection of the claims and beliefs of Chinese religion, thought and folklore.[9]

Wang'sLunhengfrequently espousesDaoistnotions of naturalism. For example, Chapter 54ZiranTự nhiên "Spontaneity" says.

By the fusion of the fluids [qi] of Heaven and Earth all things of the world are produced spontaneously, just as by the mixture of the fluids of husband and wife children are born spontaneously. Among the things thus produced, creatures with blood in their veins are sensitive of hunger and cold. Seeing that grain can be eaten, they use it as food, and discovering that silk and hemp can be worn, they take it as raiment. Some people are of opinion that Heaven produces grain for the purpose of feeding mankind, and silk and hemp to cloth them. That would be tantamount to making Heaven the farmer of man or his mulberry girl [who feeds the silkworms], it would not be in accordance with spontaneity, therefore this opinion is very questionable and unacceptable.

Reasoning on Taoist principles we find that Heaven [tian] emits its fluid everywhere. Among the many things of this world grain dispels hunger, and silk and hemp protect from cold. For that reason man eats grain, and wears silk and hemp. That Heaven does not produce grain, silk, and hemp purposely, in order to feed and cloth[e] mankind, follows from the fact that by calamitous changes it does not intend to reprove man. Things are produced spontaneously, and man wears and eats them; the fluid changes spontaneously, and man is frightened by it, for the usual theory is disheartening. Where would be spontaneity, if the heavenly signs were intentional, and where inaction [wu wei]?[10]

References[edit]

  • Chan, Wing-Tsit(1969) [1963].A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy.Princeton University Press.ISBN9780691019642.
  • Lun-hêng, Part 1. Philosophical Essays of Wang Ch'ung.Translated by Forke, Alfred.Leipzig:Harrassowitz.1907.
  • Feng, Yu-lan(1953).A History of Chinese Philosophy.Vol. 2 vols.E.J. Brill.
  • Pokora, Timoteus; Loewe, Michael (1993). "Lun hengLuận hành ". In Michael Loewe (ed.).Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide.University of California Press(Institute of East Asian Studies). pp. 309–313.

Footnotes

  1. ^Feng 1953.
  2. ^Chan 1969.
  3. ^Pokora & Loewe 1993,p. 311.
  4. ^Forke 1907,p. 9.
  5. ^Forke 1907,p. 480.
  6. ^Forke 1907,p. 372.
  7. ^Feng 1953,p. 151.
  8. ^Pokora & Loewe 1993,p. 309.
  9. ^Pokora & Loewe 1993,p. 313.
  10. ^Forke 1907,p. 92, cf.Feng 1953,p. 152 andChan 1969,p. 296.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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