Liu Zongzhou (, 1578–1645), also known as Liu Jishan (), was a Confucian scholar from the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

, born in

Shanyin Shanyin County () is a county in the northwest of Shanxi province, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou City. The Guangwu Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC – 29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), ...

Shaoxing Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitant ...

. He is considered the last master of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism and is known for his criticism of the teachings of

Wang Yangming Wang Shouren (, 26 October 1472 – 9 January 1529), courtesy name Bo'an (), art name Yangmingzi (), usually referred to as Wang Yangming (), was a Chinese calligrapher, general, philosopher, politician, and writer during the Ming dynasty ...

. After the Ming dynasty was destroyed by the

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-spea ...

, Liu Zongzhou died on 8 June of the self-imposed starvation at age 68. One of his students Zhu Yuan ( 祝淵) committed suicide by hanging himself. Another one of his students Wang Yushi ( 王毓蓍) committed suicide by drowning himself.《玉光剑气集》卷六《忠节》 Along with

Hu Hong Hu Hong ( zh, 胡宏) (1105-1161), courtesy name Renzhong (仁仲), born in Chong'an (崇安县) in Fujian province, was a Confucian scholar during the Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began ...

, Liu Zongzhou's thoughts are regarded as part of a third stream of Neo-Confucianism by

Mou Zongsan Mou Zongsan (; 1909–1995) was a Chinese philosopher and translator. He was born in Shandong province and graduated from Peking University. In 1949 he moved to Taiwan and later to Hong Kong, and he remained outside of mainland China for the res ...

References

* Ming dynasty scholars Chinese Confucianists 1578 births 1645 deaths 17th-century Chinese philosophers {{China-bio-stub