WANG Fuzhi Wáng Fūzhī 王夫之 1619–1692 Ming–Qing Scholar

◀ V Comprehensive index starts in volume 5, page 2667.

Wang Fuzhi (1619–1692) was one of the most Outer Sections. Wang’s main ideas on history and politics important scholars of the Ming–Qing period can be found in his On Reading Comprehensive Mirror and whose pragmatic philosophies of statecraft On the History of the Song Dynasty. challenged long-standing traditions, and his Wang was obsessed with rectifying the flaws he saw in Song–Ming neo-Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist teach- writings influence cultural ideas of Chinese ings and with reforming political and economic institu- nationalism even today. tions, drawing lessons from history, and preserving and carrying forward Chinese culture while the alien Man- chus ruled China. ang Fuzhi was one of the most important Chi- Wang firmly rejected Daoism and Buddhism: He nese thinkers and scholars of the Ming–Qing disapproved that these teachings advocated a denial of period (1368–1912), and his philosophies influ- the real world in order to achieve absolute emptiness ence cultural ideas of Chinese nationalism even today. and quiescence of the mind. He criticized the Song neo- He wrote more than one hundred books during his life- Confucian studies of li 理 for paying too much attention time and fought against the Manchu invaders during their to abstract principles while overlooking human society campaign establishing the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). and the material world from which these principles were A native of Hengyang in Hunan, Wang Fuzhi passed derived. Wang also attacked the neo-Confucian studies the provincial examinations in 1642, but his political ca- of xin 心 (mind) for equating the concepts of the hu- reer was quickly ended by nationwide peasant rebellions man mind (neng 能) with the outside world (suo 所), and and the Manchu invasion. Devoting the rest of his life knowledge (zhi 知) with practice and action (xing 行). to reading and writing, Wang completely withdrew from To rectify these empty and impractical teachings, politics in 1650 after his anti-Manchu military activities Wang returned to Zhang Zai (1020–1077) and further failed. Wang’s scholarly interests included Confucian advanced his materialistic philosophy. Wang stated that classics, philosophy, history, textual criticism, literature, no materials can be added to or reduced from the universe military strategies, medicine, astronomy, calendar, nu- and that no materials can be created from nothing; all merology, astrology, and Western science introduced by materials follow their own dao (way), to be transformed the Jesuits. Most of Wang’s writings were unknown to from their original form, qi (material force), to what they the wider audience of readers before they were edited and are now. Wang discarded the idea that human nature is printed beginning in the late 1830s. His most cited philo- completely innate and never changes. To Wang, although sophic works include Outer Commentary to the Book of human nature bears some innate qualities, which are the Change, Commentary on Zhang Zai’s Correction of Youthful ultimate source of moral goodness, it reflects the mind’s Ignorance, and Record of Thoughts and Questions: Inner and (xin) experiences in real human life. 2399 W © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC 2400 Berkshire Encyclopedia of China 宝库山中华全书

A Critique of Neo- Confucianism

Writing during the seventeenth century, Wang Fuzhi its Way not existing? The sage knows what the gentle- criticized the thinking of neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi for man does not, and yet ordinary men and women can giving priority to principle and the Way over material- do what the sage cannot. It may be that people are not force and actual phenomena. clear about the Way of some particular phenomenon, and so the thing is not perfected, but the fact that it he world consists of nothing but actual physical is not perfected does not mean that it does not exist. Tphenomena or concrete things. The Way is the “When the actual phenomenon is nonexistent, so is Way (or Ways) of actual phenomena, but one cannot its Way” is something that few people are capable of describe the actual phenomena as phenomena of the saying, but it is really and truly so. Way. “When the Way is nonexistent, so is the actual Source: de Bary, W. T., & Lufrano, R. (2001). Sources of Chi- phenomena” is something that anyone is capable of nese tradition, vol. 2. (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University saying. But if the phenomena exists, why worry about Press, 30.

Wang laid down a philosophical foundation for Qing Qichao, and Mao Zedong, who intensely searched for so- pragmatic statecraft. Whereas his philosophical focus was lutions for problems faced by China, were all inspired by on the material world, his political focus was on specific Wang and his works. political and socioeconomic problems. In Wang’s view, Yamin XU human society faces different problems in different times, and people of different historical periods should try hard to find specific solutions for their own problems. While Further Reading denouncing those Song philosophers who put abstract Black, A. H. (1989). Man and nature in the philosophical principles above substance, Wang strongly rejected those thought of Wang Fu-chih. Seattle: University of Wash- who put general rules, particularly the ones set up by an- ington Press. cient statesmen, above specific institutions created for Zhong Erju & Zhang Dainian. (1997). Wang Fuzhi. solving contemporary problems. In this regard, Wang Changchun, China: Jilin wenshi chubanshe. Zhang Qihui. (2001). Quangshi daru: Wang Fuzhi [The pointed out that a specific problem that caused the Ming great Confucianist Wang Fuzhi]. Shijiazhuang, (1368–1644) to fall was the imbalance between the mon- China: Hebei renmin chubanshe. arch and scholar-officials headed by a prime minister. Zhou Bing. (2006). Tian ren zhiji de lixue xinquanshi: Wang Wang also vigorously defended Chinese culture against Fuzhi “Du sishu daquan shuo” sixiang yanjiu [A new in- barbarism of non-Chinese nomads, causing his writings terpretation of Neo-Confucianism standing between to become a cultural source of modern Chinese national- heaven and human: A study of Wang Fuzhi’s thought ism. The most prominent modern Chinese intellectuals reflected in his “Reflections on ‘The four complete and statesmen, such as Zeng Guofan, Tan Sitong, Liang books’”]. Chengdu, China: Bashu shushe.

WANG Jingwei ▶