Abstract
This study presents a critical investigation on the biographical sources of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073), recognized as a pioneer of the tradition of Learning of the Way (Daoxue), also translated as Neo-Confucianism. Through a relevant translation and analysis of two textual typologies, namely the biographical chronology (nianpu) and the official biography (liezhuan) of Zhou Dunyi, according to their different uses of historiographical materials and epistemological assumptions, we aim to provide a portray of Zhou Dunyi in relation to the context of Daoxue. Zhou Dunyi’s individuality is established by an integration of two conceptual frameworks: one focuses on the historical representation, the other stresses the value of his Neo-Confucian personality. In both cases, there is a dynamics of legitimization of Zhou Dunyi’s role in order to create a Neo-Confucian philosophical and moral paradigm: this paper is an attempt to explain this process of formation and legitimization.
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©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Aufsätze – Articles – Articles
- Reconstructing the Zhuang zi: Preliminary Considerations
- The semantic change of the word min 民 in texts of the Eastern Zhou Period (771–221 BC)
- The Formation of Zhou Dunyi’s Role in the Daoxue: A Critical Analysis of Biographical Sources
- China’s New School of Thought-Masters (Xinzixue): An Alternative to Sinologism?
- Guanyin and Dizang: The Creation of a Chinese Buddhist Pantheon
- The Utopia of the Human: about Ge Fei’s Jiangnan Trilogy
- Les « Hommes singuliers » (duxing) dans le Livre des Han postérieurs (Hou Hanshu, 5e s. apr. J.-C.)
- Special Section: Asian Postmodernities and their Legacy
- Introduction
- Variations on gui and the Trouble with Ghosts in Modern Chinese Fiction
- A Game of Time: Time Travel, Video Game and Cinema in the Era of Algorithm
- Marriage Migration and State Interests: Reflections from the Experiences of Marriage Migrants from the People’s Republic of China in Taiwan
- Postmodernism as a Nationalist Conservatism? The Case of Zhang Yiwu
- Rezensionen – Comptes rendus – Reviews
- Corff, Oliver: Auf kaiserlichen Befehl erstelltes Worterbuch des Manjurischen in funf Sprachen. „Funfsprachenspiegel“. Systematisch angeordneter Wortschatz auf Manjurisch, Tibetisch, Mongolisch, Turki und Chinesisch. Vollstandige romanisierte und revidierte Ausgabe mit textkritischen Anmerkungen, deutschen Erlauterungen und Indizes
- Gassmann, Robert H. Menzius: Eine kritische Rekonstruktion mit kommentierter Neuübersetzung
- Kern, Iso: Das Wichtigste im Leben – Wang Yangming (1472–1529) und seine Nachfolger über die „Verwirklichung des ursprünglichen Wissens“ / Geng Ning 耿寧, übers. Ni Liangkang 倪梁康: Rensheng di yi deng shi – Wang Yangming ji qi houxue lun “zhi liang zhi”
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Aufsätze – Articles – Articles
- Reconstructing the Zhuang zi: Preliminary Considerations
- The semantic change of the word min 民 in texts of the Eastern Zhou Period (771–221 BC)
- The Formation of Zhou Dunyi’s Role in the Daoxue: A Critical Analysis of Biographical Sources
- China’s New School of Thought-Masters (Xinzixue): An Alternative to Sinologism?
- Guanyin and Dizang: The Creation of a Chinese Buddhist Pantheon
- The Utopia of the Human: about Ge Fei’s Jiangnan Trilogy
- Les « Hommes singuliers » (duxing) dans le Livre des Han postérieurs (Hou Hanshu, 5e s. apr. J.-C.)
- Special Section: Asian Postmodernities and their Legacy
- Introduction
- Variations on gui and the Trouble with Ghosts in Modern Chinese Fiction
- A Game of Time: Time Travel, Video Game and Cinema in the Era of Algorithm
- Marriage Migration and State Interests: Reflections from the Experiences of Marriage Migrants from the People’s Republic of China in Taiwan
- Postmodernism as a Nationalist Conservatism? The Case of Zhang Yiwu
- Rezensionen – Comptes rendus – Reviews
- Corff, Oliver: Auf kaiserlichen Befehl erstelltes Worterbuch des Manjurischen in funf Sprachen. „Funfsprachenspiegel“. Systematisch angeordneter Wortschatz auf Manjurisch, Tibetisch, Mongolisch, Turki und Chinesisch. Vollstandige romanisierte und revidierte Ausgabe mit textkritischen Anmerkungen, deutschen Erlauterungen und Indizes
- Gassmann, Robert H. Menzius: Eine kritische Rekonstruktion mit kommentierter Neuübersetzung
- Kern, Iso: Das Wichtigste im Leben – Wang Yangming (1472–1529) und seine Nachfolger über die „Verwirklichung des ursprünglichen Wissens“ / Geng Ning 耿寧, übers. Ni Liangkang 倪梁康: Rensheng di yi deng shi – Wang Yangming ji qi houxue lun “zhi liang zhi”