汤用彤

Tang Yongtong is an important historian of philosophy and of Buddhism in modern Chinese scholarship. Public information about him is limited, so his dates and educational background are not speculated upon here. Judging from the five works included in the library, his writing spans three fields: Buddhist history, Wei-Jin Neo-Daoism, and general philosophy. A History of Buddhism in the Han, Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties is his representative work, systematically tracing the intellectual development and key figures of the centuries after Buddhism entered China. Essays on Wei-Jin Neo-Daoism and Other Writings focuses on the Neo-Daoist movement, examining topics such as He Yan, Wang Bi, Ji Kang, and Guo Xiang. There are also lecture-based volumes for general readers, such as A General Education Course in Philosophy from National Southwestern Associated University and Philosophy Course, as well as Tang Yongtong on Wei-Jin Philosophical Thought. He was thus capable of both specialized research and accessible exposition. His works are known for solid use of sources, clear organization, and restrained language, and are often classified as history and Eastern philosophy; they remain important references for the study of Chinese Buddhist history and Wei-Jin thought.