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论衡 Discourses Weighted in the Balance - Ghostbuster takes a scientific approach
May 26, 2013, Sunday
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"LUNHENG," or "Discourses Weighted in the Balance," is a major critical work that counters superstitions and the idealist philosophy prevalent during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). It also contains some important early scientific theories on astronomy and meteorology.
This remarkable book was written by Wang Chong (AD 27-97), one of the greatest original and iconoclastic thinkers of his time.
Wang was born into a poor family in today's Shangyu in east China's Jiangsu Province. As a youngster, Wang was often praised by his fellow villagers for his devotion to his parents. However, he was left an orphan at an early age.
To pursue his studies, young Wang travelled all the way to Luoyang, in Henan Province, then the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty. There, he enrolled in the Imperial Academy, the most prestigious institute of higher learning at the time.
In the years that followed, Wang studied under the guidance of Ban Biao (AD 3-54), one of China's greatest historians.
As a voracious reader, Wang wasn't satisfied in only reading the required texts at the academy. Too poor to buy all the books he wanted to read, Wang was often seen reading books in different bookshops in Luoyang.
Wang won a reputation as an eloquent debater and was in time assigned to several minor government offices.
But because he couldn't get along with corrupt colleagues and resented the prevailing social trend of turning Confucianism into a kind of superstition - worshiping Confucius and other ancient sages as gods - Wang soon resigned from his posts and returned home to focus on writing.
In order to concentrate on thinking and writing, Wang confined himself to the house, refusing to attend weddings, funerals and any other social activities. He left brushes and paper in every corner of his home, so that he could jot down his thoughts at any time.
Wang spent more than 30 years writing "Lunheng" and when it was completed in AD 86, the book contained more than 200,000 characters in 85 chapters. Today, 84 chapters are still extant, but for the other chapter, only a title has survived.
Wang was greatly influenced by the philosophy of correlative thinking of his time. He believed that the universe and all natural phenomena and creatures (including human beings) consist of qi, which is a consistent physical element. Qi is divided into yin and yang - as well as tangible and intangible forms.
The life of a human being or an object is the crystalization of qi and when they die, they return to intangible qi again
Therefore, in "Lunheng," Wang solemnly refuted the then prevalent belief in ghosts. He argued that if human beings were all transformed into ghosts after their death, the ghosts would outnumber the living people and the whole world would be packed with them.
Also, he asked why people believed that only human beings would become ghosts, not other creatures.
In his book, Wang also sought to explain astronomy and meteorology.
Wang believed that changes in the weather were caused by changes in qi, and that temperature played a key role in this process.
Therefore, he argued that thunder was just a natural phenomenon and not an expression of God's anger or displeasure, particularly towards human beings.
Because of his iconoclastic thinking, Wang's book was at first boycotted by the ruling class who labeled it "unorthodox."
But later, more and more Chinese scholars and historians came to agree that "Lunheng" reflects people's aspiration at that time for ideological emancipation and for perceptual knowledge to promote the development of science and technology.
This remarkable book was written by Wang Chong (AD 27-97), one of the greatest original and iconoclastic thinkers of his time.
Wang was born into a poor family in today's Shangyu in east China's Jiangsu Province. As a youngster, Wang was often praised by his fellow villagers for his devotion to his parents. However, he was left an orphan at an early age.
To pursue his studies, young Wang travelled all the way to Luoyang, in Henan Province, then the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty. There, he enrolled in the Imperial Academy, the most prestigious institute of higher learning at the time.
In the years that followed, Wang studied under the guidance of Ban Biao (AD 3-54), one of China's greatest historians.
As a voracious reader, Wang wasn't satisfied in only reading the required texts at the academy. Too poor to buy all the books he wanted to read, Wang was often seen reading books in different bookshops in Luoyang.
Wang won a reputation as an eloquent debater and was in time assigned to several minor government offices.
But because he couldn't get along with corrupt colleagues and resented the prevailing social trend of turning Confucianism into a kind of superstition - worshiping Confucius and other ancient sages as gods - Wang soon resigned from his posts and returned home to focus on writing.
In order to concentrate on thinking and writing, Wang confined himself to the house, refusing to attend weddings, funerals and any other social activities. He left brushes and paper in every corner of his home, so that he could jot down his thoughts at any time.
Wang spent more than 30 years writing "Lunheng" and when it was completed in AD 86, the book contained more than 200,000 characters in 85 chapters. Today, 84 chapters are still extant, but for the other chapter, only a title has survived.
Wang was greatly influenced by the philosophy of correlative thinking of his time. He believed that the universe and all natural phenomena and creatures (including human beings) consist of qi, which is a consistent physical element. Qi is divided into yin and yang - as well as tangible and intangible forms.
The life of a human being or an object is the crystalization of qi and when they die, they return to intangible qi again
Therefore, in "Lunheng," Wang solemnly refuted the then prevalent belief in ghosts. He argued that if human beings were all transformed into ghosts after their death, the ghosts would outnumber the living people and the whole world would be packed with them.
Also, he asked why people believed that only human beings would become ghosts, not other creatures.
In his book, Wang also sought to explain astronomy and meteorology.
Wang believed that changes in the weather were caused by changes in qi, and that temperature played a key role in this process.
Therefore, he argued that thunder was just a natural phenomenon and not an expression of God's anger or displeasure, particularly towards human beings.
Because of his iconoclastic thinking, Wang's book was at first boycotted by the ruling class who labeled it "unorthodox."
But later, more and more Chinese scholars and historians came to agree that "Lunheng" reflects people's aspiration at that time for ideological emancipation and for perceptual knowledge to promote the development of science and technology.
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