''Wén'' () and ''wǔ'' () are a conceptual pair in
Chinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Warring States period (), during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and cultural developmen ...
and political culture describing opposition and complementarity of civil and military realms of government. Differentiation between ''wen'' and ''wu'' was engaged in discussions on criminal punishment, administrative control, creation and reproduction of social order, education and moral transformation.
The concept was formed during the
Spring and Autumn and
Warring States
The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...
periods, and best articulated in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. However, until recently it was not much discussed by the Western scholars because of their poor perception of the importance of
Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
in the pre-imperial and early imperial era, and their understanding of Confucianism as pacifist in its nature. An example of the last is provided by
John K. Fairbank
John King Fairbank (May 24, 1907 – September 14, 1991) was an American historian of China and United States–China relations. He taught at Harvard University from 1936 until his retirement in 1977. He is credited with building the field of Ch ...
: “Warfare was disesteemed in Confucianism... The resort to warfare (''wu'') was an admission of bankruptcy in the pursuit of ''wen''
ivility or culture Consequently, it should be a last resort... Herein lies the pacifist bias of the Chinese tradition... Expansion through ''wen''... was natural and proper; whereas expansion by ''wu'', brute force and conquest, was never to be condoned.”
History of the terms
The
posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...
s of the
Zhou dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
(1046-256 BCE) founders,
King Wen and
King Wu, represent the two terms as standing in the "father-and-son" relationship. Since the
conquest of Shang and creation of the Zhou imperial order were the most discussed events of the classical era, the two impersonated terms had very broad currency. However, their origin is presently impossible to pinpoint.
''
Shuoyuan'', compiled by
Liu Xiang (77-6 BCE, Han dynasty), gives a classical example of the terms' balancing against each other:
King Cheng enfeoffed Bo Qin
Bo Qin (Chinese: , p ''Bóqín''), also known as Qin Fu (禽父), was the founder of the State of Lu during the early Zhou dynasty.
Born into the royal Ji family (), he was the eldest son of the Duke of Zhou. Instead of inheriting his ...
he Duke of Zhou's sonas the Duke of Lu. Summoning him, he addressed him, saying: "Do you know the Way of acting as the ruler over the people? ... Should you possess the civil but lack the martial, you will have no means to awe those below. Should you possess the martial but lack the civil, the people will fear you but not draw close. If the civil and martial are implemented together, then your awe-inspiring virtue
Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standard ...
will be achieved."[McNeal, 15, translating from "Jundao" chapter of the ''Shuoyuan''.]
See also
*
Wen Wu temple
A Wen Wu temple or Wenwu temple () is a dual temple in China venerating the two patron gods of civil and martial affairs in the same temple complex. In southern China the civil god or Wéndì () is Wenchang (), while in the north it is Confuciu ...
References
Bibliography
* McNeal, Robin. ''Conquer and Govern: Early Chinese Military Texts from the
Yi Zhou shu
The ''Yi Zhou Shu'' () is a compendium of Chinese historical documents about the Western Zhou period (1046–771 BCE). Its textual history began with a (4th century BCE) text/compendium known as the ''Zhou Shu'' ("Book of Zhou"), which was possibl ...
''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2012.
Classical Chinese philosophy
Concepts in Chinese philosophy
Dichotomies
Political culture
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