Yu Yue (; December 1821 5 February 1907),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...
Yinfu, ''
hao'' Quyuan,
[ was a prominent scholar and official of ]Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
China. An expert in philology
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...
and textual studies, he taught and wrote prolifically on the classics and histories.[ ]Yu Pingbo
Yu Pingbo (; January 8, 1900 – October 15, 1990), original name Yu Mingheng () and courtesy name Pingbo (), was a Chinese essayist, poet, historian, redologist, and literary critic.
Early life
Yu Pingbo's ancestry can be traced to Deqing, ...
was his great-grandson; one of his most important disciples was Zhang Taiyan
Zhang Binglin (January 12, 1869 – June 14, 1936), also known by his art name Zhang Taiyan, was a Chinese philologist, textual critic, philosopher, and revolutionary.
His philological works include ''Wen Shi'' (文始 "The Origin of Writing"), t ...
.[
]
Scholarly career
Yu Yue hailed from Deqing, Zhejiang, and later moved to Renhe, now a subdistrict of Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...
.[
In 1850, Yu passed the ]imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
as metropolitan graduate, and was appointed junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy
The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution of higher learning founded in the 8th century Tang China by Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an.
Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed se ...
. He then served successively in a variety of academic posts in the imperial bureaucracy, and was later promoted to educational instructor of Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...
, not long before his resigning from this position and withdrawing to Suzhou
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trad ...
, where he became a private teacher and devoted himself full-time to classical studies.[ From 1868 on, he was director of the Gujing Academy (詁經精舍), which he headed for more than 30 years. Yu's analyses of the classics are widely admired for their philological acumen, and he has had a large influence on both Chinese and foreign students of the Chinese classics, particularly in Japan.][
]
Notable thoughts
Yu's philosophy was inclined to the teachings of Wang Niansun
Wang Niansun (; 1744–1832), courtesy name: Huaizu () was a Chinese scholar of the Qing Dynasty.
Biography
A native of Gaoyou, Jiangsu, he worked as a government official specializing in channelization before retiring to devote himself to his st ...
and Wang Yinzhi Wang Yinzhi (; 1766–1834) a Qing dynasty philologist. The son of Wang Niansun, he was the author of the ''Jingzhuan Shici
The Book of Expletives () written by Wang Yinzhi () is a book in ten volumes that analyzes the function of words in class ...
, who interpreted Confucian classics
Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
in a practical way.[ In the 1860s, Yu was intimately involved in restoring the Gujing Academy, a ''sishu'' (private academy) established by ]Ruan Yuan
Ruan Yuan (; 1764–1849), courtesy name Yuntai (云台), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer of the Qing Dynasty who was the most prominent Chinese scholar during the first half of the 19th century. He won the ''jinshi'' degree i ...
in 1800 yet destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It last ...
. As opposed to the then dominant goal of education—namely education as pathway towards an official career—Yu aimed to provide a non-political environment for classics studies and stressed philology and historical research during his teaching, an intellectual tradition initiated by Gu Yanwu
Gu Yanwu () (July 15, 1613 – February 15, 1682), also known as Gu Tinglin (), was a Chinese philologist, geographer, and famous scholar-official in Qing dynasty. He spent his youth during the Manchu conquest of China in anti-Manchu activities a ...
and Dai Zhen
Dai Zhen (, January 19, 1724 – July 1, 1777) was a Chinese philosopher of the Qing dynasty. Hailing from Xiuning, Anhui Dai was a versatile scholar who made great contributions to mathematics, geography, phonology and philosophy. His philos ...
.[
Yu allowed considerable freedom in readings of texts, which to a great extent stimulated ]Zhang Taiyan
Zhang Binglin (January 12, 1869 – June 14, 1936), also known by his art name Zhang Taiyan, was a Chinese philologist, textual critic, philosopher, and revolutionary.
His philological works include ''Wen Shi'' (文始 "The Origin of Writing"), t ...
's creative thinking and developments to classical writings. He believed that the most important techniques in rendering the classics readable for contemporary readers were restoring original word and sentence orders (sometimes altered in transmission), establishing the proper senses of individual words, and most importantly being more aware of the use of phonetic loan words. Yu believed that many of the difficulties encountered in reading the classics were due to a failure to recognize the use of loan characters—an often quite challenging task, requiring an intimate knowledge of ancient Chinese phonology—and in his commentaries, he often raises the possibility of this phenomenon to suggest alternate readings.[ He memorably remarked that "holding a book transmitted and printed today and treating it as the true version of the ancients is like hearing people say that bamboo shoots are good to eat, and going home and cooking one's bed mat" (執今日傳刻之書, 而以. 爲是古人之眞本, 譬猶聞人言筍可食, 歸而煮其簀也)..
Yu maintained links with both the traditional philological school and scholars of new thoughts—to name a few, Song Xiangfeng and Zhuang Cunyu from ]Changzhou
Changzhou ( Changzhounese: ''Zaon Tsei'', ) is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling and Jinling. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provin ...
, who explored political messages carried in classics including the '' Gongyang Commentary'' and the ''Spring and Autumn Annals
The ''Spring and Autumn Annals'' () is an ancient Chinese chronicle that has been one of the core Chinese classics since ancient times. The '' Annals'' is the official chronicle of the State of Lu, and covers a 241-year period from 722 to 481 ...
''.[ He also exchanged ideas with late-Qing reformers like ]Kang Youwei
Kang Youwei (; Cantonese: ''Hōng Yáuh-wàih''; 19March 185831March 1927) was a prominent political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor spar ...
and Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超 ; Wade-Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu'') (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, journalist, and intellectual. His thou ...
. Liang referred to Yu as one of the few orthodox scholars that survived the academic downfall during this period, yet Yu was actually not very much stuck into the so-called orthodox 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 Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
: unlike Kang Youwei's speculative method in interpreting the ''Analects
The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...
'', Yu supported a more textual and factual approach; furthermore, instead of focusing merely on Confucian thoughts, Yu tended to put more emphasis on the Hundred Schools of Thought
The Hundred Schools of Thought () were philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China.
An era of substantial discrimination in China ...
, which decentralised the Confucian hegemony in the pre-Qin period.[
]
Major works
* ''Qunqing Pingyi'' () — analysis and commentaries on Confucian classics
Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
, in which Yu followed the scholarly approach of Wang Yinzhi Wang Yinzhi (; 1766–1834) a Qing dynasty philologist. The son of Wang Niansun, he was the author of the ''Jingzhuan Shici
The Book of Expletives () written by Wang Yinzhi () is a book in ten volumes that analyzes the function of words in class ...
's work ''Jingyi Shuwen'' ().[
* ''Zhuzi Pingyi'' () — a collection of works of the pre-Qin masters and philosophers. It includes Yu's analysis and commentaries to the ]Daoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
writings ''Baopuzi
The ''Baopuzi'' () is a literary work written by Ge Hong (also transliterated as Ko Hung) (), 283–343, a scholar during the turbulent Jin dynasty. ''Baopuzi'' is divided into two main sections, the esoteric ''Neipian'' () "Inner Chapters" an ...
'' and ''Huainanzi
The ''Huainanzi'' is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139. The ''Huainanzi'' blends Daoist, Confuci ...
'', the legalist
Legalist, Inc. is an investment firm that specializes in alternative assets in the private credit industry. Today the firm manages approximately $750 million across three separate strategies: litigation finance, bankruptcy ( debtor-in-possession ...
classics '' Hanfeizi'' and ''Gongsun Longzi
Gongsun Long (, BCLiu 2004, p. 336), courtesy name Zibing (子秉), was a Chinese philosopher and writer who was a member of the School of Names (Logicians) of ancient Chinese philosophy. He also ran a school and enjoyed the support of rulers, ...
'', as well as to the histories '' Songshiyi'' () and '' Yizhoushu''.[
* ''Gushu Yiyi Juli'' () — scholarly work on 88 systematic errors that were commonly seen in the interpretation of classical texts as a consequence of a different understanding of grammar or words. Point-by-point analyses to these errors were given by Yu. The book received great attention when it was published.][
* '']The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants
''The Tale of Loyal Heroes and Righteous Gallants'' (忠烈俠義傳), also known by its 1883 reprint title ''The Three Heroes and Five Gallants'' (三俠五義), is an 1879 Chinese novel based on storyteller Shi Yukun's oral performances. The ...
'' (''Qixia Wuyi'') — a high-class version of the popular romance ''Sanxia Wuyi'', revised by Yu under the standards of written literature of his time. The revision was published in 1889.[
: ''Youtaixianguan Biji'' () — an important ]Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
novel of the late-Qing period that very much reflected Yu's modernity consciousness.
* ''Chunzaitang Quanshu'' (), an eight-volume collection of Yu's works, which also compiled other notable publications of Yu, including:
: ''Chaxiangshi Congchao'' () — scholarly notes
: ''Chunzaitang Suibi'' () — essays
: ''Liangzhe Fengyongji'' (), vol. 4''Liangzhe Fengyongji''
Cambridge University Library. — artistic essays
: ''Quyuan Zishu Shi'' () — poems
: ''Yu Quyuan Suibi'' () — essays
: ''Yu Yue Zhaji Wuzhong'' () — essays
References
; Notes
; Bibliography
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External links
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{{Authority control
Qing dynasty essayists
1821 births
1907 deaths
Philosophers from Zhejiang
19th-century Chinese philosophers
Writers from Huzhou
Qing dynasty politicians from Zhejiang
Politicians from Huzhou
Burials in Hangzhou
People from Deqing County, Zhejiang
Qing dynasty classicists