Title

Discourse for the Institution: One Aspect of Wang Pi’s Thought

Author

Tsung-shun Lin

Genre

Article  

Pages

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Key words

Wang Pi, Metaphysical Schools of Wei-Chin

Abstract

      The intellectual movement in the Wei-Chin period (220-420) is often described as an escape from reality and the decline of Confucian ethics. But the Confucian ethics actually survived. As Tung Chung-shu (179-104 B.C.) revised Confucian ethics by the framework of Yin Yan philosophy to be the State ideology, many philosopher of Wei-Chun made discourse for the institution, while they are Taoist in their metaphysics, they are still Confucianism in their social and political philosophy.

    Wang Pi (226-249) is the most outstanding philosopher who made discourse for institution in Wei-Chun period, He identified non-being (substance, pen-wu) and being (function, mo-yu), through this, he made discourse for institution that is based on Confucian ethics.

    From the viewpoint of discourse for institution, we can develop new frontiers of the study of Wang Pi’s thought and Metaphysical Schools of Wei-Chin.