Su Xun (; 22 May 1009 – 21 May 1066) was a scholar, essayist and philosopher during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, listed as one of the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song, along with his sons

Su Shi Su Shi ( zh, t=, s=苏轼, p=Sū Shì; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, scholar-official, literatus, artist, pharmacologist, and gastronome wh ...

and Su Zhe.

Life and career

Early life and education

Su Xun was born to an affluent family at

Meishan natively Meishan ( zh, s=眉山; Sichuanese Pinyin: Mi2san1; local pronunciation: ; zh, p=Méishān , w=Mei-shan), formerly known as Meizhou () or Qingzhou (), is a prefecture-level city with 2,955,219 inhabitants as of 2020 census of whom ...

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

Province. He began to diligently study at the age of 27 towards the civil service examination. He attempted the examinations for the Jinshi and Maocai (Xiucai) qualifications several times but failed all. At age 37, he shifted away from examination style writings emphasizing on rhythm and rigid formality, and embarked on over a decade of intensive study of classical literature and philosophy from the pre-Qin era including the

Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...

and

Mencius Mencius (孟子, ''Mèngzǐ'', ; ) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher, often described as the Second Sage () to reflect his traditional esteem relative to Confucius himself. He was part of Confucius's fourth generation of disciples, inheriting ...

texts. Through self-teaching, Su Xun acquired a thorough understanding of classic scholarly discourses as well as historical events. He became capable of in-depth philosophical and political argument through essay writing. During his learning years, he simultaneously coached and guided his two sons in their study of history, literature, and philosophy, who would later grow to significant literati in the Song Dynasty.

Career and accomplishments

In 1056, Su Xun, at age 47, accompanied by his sons

and Su Zhe, went to the capital Bianjing, to meet the Hanlin academician Ouyang Xiu. He presented twenty-two essays to Ouyang Xiu containing his recommendation and insights on political, economical and military reforms. Ouyang highly appreciated his literary style, comparing it to that of ancient Confucian philosopher Xunzi. His fame flourished as scholars and officials in the capital eagerly read and emulated his writings. In 1057, both of his sons passed the imperial examination with high scores, causing a sensation in the capital. However, their joy was short-lived due to the passing of Su Xun's wife, Lady Cheng. The news brought profound grief to the family. In 1058,

Emperor Renzong of Song Emperor Renzong of Song (30 May 1010 – 30 April 1063), personal name Zhao Zhen, was the fourth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China. He reigned for about 41 years from 1022 to his death in 1063, making him the longest reigning Song ...

summoned him for an examination, but Su Xun excused himself due to poor health conditions. Unlike his sons Su Shi and Su Zhe, Su Xun remained under-accomplished in his political career, due to absence of official qualifications. Nonetheless, through diligent self-teaching, he has established himself as a master of prose writing and political philosopher.

Zeng Gong Zeng Gong (; 1019–1083), courtesy name Zigu (), was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician of the Song dynasty. He was a key supporter and writer in the Classical Prose Movement and is regarded by later scholars as one of the Eigh ...

remarked in his "Eulogy for Su Xun" (苏明允哀词）that Su Xun's prose balances grandeur with clarity, skillfully employs metaphors and analogies, and makes the abstract concept tangible, and distant ideas immediate. Contemporary scholar Wang Shuizhao compares Su Xun's writing style to that of ''

Zhan Guo Ce The ''Zhan Guo Ce'' (Wade-Giles, W-G: ''Chan-kuo T'se''), also known in English language, English as the ''Strategies of the Warring States'' or ''Annals of the Warring States'', is an ancient Chinese text that contains anecdotes of political ma ...

'' for its abundance in rhetoric and persuasive discourse. Unlike the pre-Qin diplomats who often argued for the sake of argument, Su Xun’s political and historical commentaries were intended to analyze, critique, and address the challenges of his time and the empire. Su's diction was both concise and powerful; he was meticulous in his word selection and assertive in presenting his thoughts and arguments. One of Su Xun's short essay "The naming of the two sons" (名二子说) was well known not only for its crisp language, but also for its foresight and wisdom. The essay was written when his elder son, Su Shi, was eleven, and his younger son, Su Zhe, was eight. Su Xun accurately identified and predicted the circumstances of his sons, weaving his wishes and advice into the naming process. By naming the elder "Shi" (轼) meaning the less noticeable railing of a chariot, he hoped that the talented and outspoken Su Shi would learn to restrain himself; by naming the younger one "Zhe" (辙), meaning ruts, the father captured the essence of Su Zhe's key traits - caution and low profile - which ensured him a stable career and a relatively peaceful life.

References

1009 births 1066 deaths Chinese essayists Su Shi 11th-century Chinese philosophers Chinese political philosophers Philosophers of culture {{China-writer-stub