孔安国

Kong Anguo was a Confucian scholar of the Han dynasty. Publicly available information about his life and career is limited, and neither his dates nor his nationality are clearly recorded. Four works are currently listed under his name, including Shangshu Zhengyi, Xiaojing Zhu, Guwen Xiaojing, and an edition of Kongzi Jiayu and Lunyu with commentaries bound together in one set. These works show that his focus was on the Confucian classics, especially the annotation and exposition of the Shangshu and the Xiaojing, placing him in the tradition of classical scholarship that emphasizes textual explanation and the elucidation of meaning. His style is likely characterized by rigorous citation and clear exposition of classical doctrine, with some attention to allusions and literary appreciation, which is why his works are often classified under culture, Eastern philosophy, and literary appreciation. Kong Anguo's influence in the transmission of classical learning is chiefly reflected in these annotated and expository works.