Simultaneity of Square and Circle: Calendrical Learning and the Concept of Universal Circulation in the Zhouyi Shilun Hebian
Vol. 56 No. 1 4/2026
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Title |
Simultaneity of Square and Circle: Calendrical Learning and the Concept of Universal Circulation in the Zhouyi Shilun Hebian |
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Author |
Lee Chung-ta |
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Genre |
Article |
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Pages |
1-39 |
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Download |
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Language |
Chinese |
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Key words |
Zhouyi shilun hebian 周易時論合編, Fang Kongzhao 方孔炤, Fang Yizhi 方以智, astronomy, calendrical systems, symbolic diagrams |
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Abstract |
The Zhouyi shilun hebian 周易時論合編 by Fang Kongzhao 方孔炤 (1590- 1655) and Fang Yizhi 方以智 (1611-c. 1671) contains an extensive discussion of astronomy and calendrical systems, forming a unique approach within the field of Yijing 易經studies. The Fangs believed that the natural sciences were based on the numerical principles of the Yijing, and the book employs various symbolic diagrams to explain the correlation between the two. This article focuses on the concept of time to elucidate the underlying philosophical system that runs throughout the entire text, as well as the position of calendar systems within the text’s theoretical framework. Furthermore, through the examples of guaqi 卦氣theory, which originated in the Han dynasty, Shao Yong’s 邵雍 (1011-1077) “Diagrams of Former Heaven,” and Huang Daozhou’s 黃道周 (1585-1646) “Tianfang tu 天方圖,” the article shows how the Zhouyi shilun hebian utilizes symbolic diagrams from different eras to expound a viewpoint that emphasizes the interconnection between the macrocosm and microcosm as perpetually existing within a grand cycle of circulation. |