Textual Authority in Pre-Han and Han

Nylan, Michael

doi:10.1017/s0362502800004314

Cited by 22 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…And it is also true that the most senior ministers were highly literate. Yet it was rare for a minister or an official to win office on the basis of his command of the classics during the Han (Loewe, 2004: 128–129; Houn, 1956: 149–51; Nylan, 2000: 238). More problematic, many Han administrators were not highly literate, let alone thoroughly versed in the classics.…”

Section: Practical Necessity and Classical Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The power of monuments to enhance a reputation becomes clear through a comparison of monuments to official dossiers. As Nylan (2000: 240–241) aptly notes, housed in the imperial library, official dossiers did not circulate, as they were the ‘secret archives where materials of possible advantage to the throne were deposited to await the emperor’s perusal’. In contrast, stone monuments were public.…”

Section: Reputational Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

Brown

Xie

2015

Chinese Journal of Sociology

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Scholars have noticed that centrally-appointed officials in imperial China were not only beholden to their superiors but also acted as brokers of local interests. We characterize such a structural position as ‘dual accountability’. Although accountability to superiors is readily understandable within the Weberian framework of bureaucratic hierarchy, the reasons behind local responsiveness bear explanation. This paper attempts to explain such responsiveness by investigating the larger ideological, structural, and institutional contexts of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). We explore two existing explanations – practical necessity and ‘Confucian’ or classical paternalism – and add a new explanation of our own: the emphasis on virtuous reputations in the system of bureaucratic recruitment and promotion. Our argument is supported by empirical evidence from a range of sources, including administrative records and inscriptions on ancient stelae. More generally, we question Weber’s hypothesis that the Chinese imperial system of administration fit the ideal type of traditional bureaucracy, and we examine the rational bases underlying an ‘inefficient’ system that was in place for two millennia.

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Section: Practical Necessity and Classical Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reputational Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

Brown

Xie

2015

Chinese Journal of Sociology

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“…Contrary to what has long been assumed, the other groupings of thinkers do not represent proper organized institutions that could potentially be compared to the Western idea of a “school” or “academy.” They are rather to be considered exclusively as bibliographical labels created ad hoc for the sake of convenience during the process of reorganization and systematization of the holdings of the imperial library sponsored by the court during the first century B.C.E. On this issue, see Petersen (); Ryden (); Nylan (); Csikszentmihalyi (); Csikszentmihalyi and Nylan (); and Smith ().…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The “white horse is not horse” debate

Indraccolo

2017

Philosophy Compass

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The so-called "white horse is not horse" (bái mǎ fēi mǎ 白馬非馬) debate, or "white horse" (bái mǎ 白馬) dialogical argument, is beyond doubt the most famous case of argumentation (biàn 辯) in the history of Classical Chinese philosophy. The somewhat disorienting statement at the center of this debate is discussed at length by two anonymous fictive characters, a persuader and their opponent, in the 'Báimǎ lùn' 白馬論 (Disquisition on White and Horse). The 'Báimǎ lùn' usually appears as the first chapter in the received text Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ 公孫龍子 (Master Gongsun Long). The Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ is a composite collection of heterogeneous materials in six chapters. The collection includes an anecdotal preface, three partially incomplete and/or corrupted dialogues, and two short and extremely intricate treatises. In particular, the dialogues included in the collection are structured in a fairly similar way and focus on what have been defined as paradoxes or sophisms belonging to the repertoire of a rather loose group of thinkers, the so-called Logicians or Chinese "Sophists" (míngjiā 名家, literally "experts on names"), allegedly active during the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.E.).

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“…accordingly, I render the term as "trend of thought" instead of the traditional "school". On the issue of the interpretation of jiā and its different meanings, see Petersen (1995Petersen ( ), ryden (1996, Nylan (2000), Csikszentmihàlyi (2002), Csikszentmihàlyi and Nylan (2003), Smith (2003). matic and ethical roles.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On "Masters texts" and their relevance to contemporary studies on early Chinese thought, see Denecke (2010), also tian (2006). On composite authorship in Classical Chinese texts, see Nylan (2000), Kern (2002 and2005, in particular Boltz's contribution to the volume), Beecroft (2010), Schwermann and Steineck (2014). 4 Wù is used to denominate all things taken individually, but also the totality of all things considered as a set, as, literally "everything that exists in the world" [物也者,天下之所有也。].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Vidinis Ir Išorinis Pasauliai: Daiktų, Materijos Ir Proto Prigimtis Pagal Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ

Indraccolo¹

2016

PRB

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Abstract. The present study provides an overview of the narrative of cognition as described in a largely understudied Classical Chinese philosophical text, the Gōngsūn Lóngzî, drawing meaningful comparisons with other works traditionally associated with the Logicians' (míngjiā) trend of thought. The Gōngsūn Lóngz especially provides a substantial contribution to our understanding of knowledge construction processes in early China. According to the text, the mind has the ability to operate distinctions. It breaks reality down into meaningful, manageable units, and classifies these units according to appropriate categories. As will be shown, such ability is not only necessary for the individu-al to cognize the world, but also sufficient to ensure univocal correspondence between names and actualities.

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Textual Authority in Pre-Han and Han

Cited by 22 publications

References 14 publications

Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

Between heaven and earth: Dual accountability in Han China

The “white horse is not horse” debate

Vidinis Ir Išorinis Pasauliai: Daiktų, Materijos Ir Proto Prigimtis Pagal Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ

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