An Exposition of Qian and Kun

Name: An Exposition of Qian and Kun
ISBN: 9787532590865

Xiong ShiliShanghai Classics Publishing House · ChinaJan 2021

4.3

Word count: 226K words
Chapters: 6
ISBN: 9787532590865

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Summary

The Three-Part Philosophical Trilogy of Xiong Shili: New Treatise on Consciousness-Only, On Substance and Function, and Qiankun Yan. From these works the starting point and trajectory of Xiong Shili's thought can be clearly seen. Mr. Xiong Shili's judgments on the various traditional schools and trends are his own personal view, and their merits and demerits may of course be discussed; yet his precise grasp of the pulse of the times, his deep appreciation of the fundamental spirit of traditional culture, and his sense of responsibility for the era embodied in "if not I, then who?" and his focus on all humanity all derive from a profound spiritual resource centered mainly on Confucianism and Mahayana Buddhism. For readers who wish to understand traditional culture in depth, it is therefore an excellent bridge and stepping stone. Editor's recommendation: Xiong Shili recounts the trajectory of his philosophical thought, beginning with Buddhist Consciousness-Only thought (the Yogacara school), then exploring the Madhyamaka school, and later awakening to the meaning of the unity of substance and function in the Great Changes (Yijing). His New Treatise on Consciousness-Only, published in 1932, was born out of Consciousness-Only thought; On Substance and Function, published in 1958, argues from his own system and no longer relies on the theoretical framework of Consciousness-Only; and Qiankun Yan, written in 1961 and published in facsimile, is an elaboration of the great meaning of the Qian and Kun hexagrams in the Book of Changes, disclosing on the one hand the sources of his own thought and reaffirming his intent to return to the fundamentals of the Great Changes, and on the other hand analyzing and evaluating the different intellectual sources of the extant Zhouyi text.

Editor's review

Qiankun Yan is the definitive work of Xiong Shili's later years, completed in 1961 and regarded as the final completion and summation of his "New Consciousness-Only" philosophical system. Taking the Qian and Kun hexagrams of the Zhouyi as its pivot, the book constructs, through creative interpretation, a system of cosmology and philosophy of life based on the non-duality of substance and function and the formation of change through opening and closing. Xiong Shili fuses traditional Yijing scholarship with Buddhist Consciousness-Only thought and Western philosophical resources, proposing core concepts such as "the sea of nature of the Qian origin" and "the original mind as the benevolent substance," and emphasizing the vigorous spirit of the unceasing creativity of cosmic life and the way in which humanity should assist in transformation and nurture.

Viewed in the context of intellectual history, Qiankun Yan marks the high point of the ontological construction of modern New Confucianism. Using "elaboration" (yan) as his method, Xiong Shili both inherits Wang Chuanshan's doctrine of "the joint establishment of Qian and Kun" and breaks through the conventions of Han and Song Yijing scholarship, endowing Qian and Kun with the modern philosophical connotations of "the unity of mind and matter" and "life and mind." The book's critical dialogue with materialism and its accommodation of scientific rationality display a distinctive Confucian approach to the challenges of modernity.

Its value for reading lies in the following: first, it allows a deeper understanding of how twentieth-century Chinese philosophy "continues" tradition; second, it enables appreciation of Xiong Shili's dialectical thinking of "substance as function" and "phenomena as noumenon," which addresses the contemporary sense of separation between mind and world; third, it conveys the philosopher's late-life "spirit of solitary endeavor"—his insistence on cultural ideals even in a special era, safeguarding the flame of the spirit through arduous writing. Though the text is condensed and obscure, every passage condenses a lifetime of thought and is worth repeated savoring.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and students interested in the modern transformation of Chinese philosophy
Readers hoping to understand in depth the ontological construction of New Confucianism
Thinkers seeking inspiration for the creative transformation of traditional culture
Patient readers willing to take on systematic philosophical texts

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light, popular introductions to philosophy
Complete beginners unfamiliar with traditional Yijing scholarship and Buddhist background

Reading tips

Readers may first read Xiong Shili's vernacular New Treatise on Consciousness-Only or On Substance and Function to establish a basic conceptual framework
While reading, keep the Zhouyi and Wang Chuanshan's Yijing works at hand for reference, and pay attention to distinguishing the new interpretations of traditional terms
Pay attention to materials such as the appended "Letter in Reply to a Friend," and understand the historical context of the late-life definitive work in light of his biography

About the publisher

Shanghai Classics Publishing House China · Founded in 1956

Shanghai Classics Publishing House is a professional publisher centered on the collation of ancient texts and academic research works. Its publishing areas cover historical readings, classical poetry, folk literature, literary appreciation, canonical works, and Eastern philosophy. Its books include Chen Yinke's A Brief Discussion of the Origins of the Sui and Tang Institutions, Xin Qiji's Chronological Annotated Edition of Jiaxuan's Ci (Simplified Edition), Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion, Liu Xie's The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, as well as New Annotations to Three Hundred Tang Poems (Collector's Edition), Annotated Edition of Han Changli's Collected Works (Simplified Edition, 3 volumes), and Youyang Zazu. Its authors include Chen Yinke, Xin Qiji, Tang Xianzu, Liu Xie, Deng Guangming, Hengtang Tuishi, Han Yu, and Ma Qichang. In terms of publishing characteristics, the house emphasizes collation, annotation, and compilation of ancient texts alongside academic research works, and continues to issue simplified and collector's editions that balance scholarship and accessibility. Public information about the publisher's fuller publishing profile is limited.

版权信息
“十力丛书”出版缘起
题记
自序
第一分辨伪
第二分广义

FAQ

What are the key developments of Qiankun Yan in relation to Xiong Shili's early thought?

The book's greatest advance lies in carrying the doctrine of the non-duality of substance and function thoroughly into cosmology, explicitly proposing that "Qian and Kun are both function" and dissolving the transcendence of substance; at the same time it emphasizes more strongly the moral-practical meaning of "the Qian origin as the benevolent substance," giving it a stronger philosophy-of-life character.

How does the book's interpretation of the Zhouyi differ from traditional commentaries?

Xiong Shili breaks through the two schools of image-number and meaning-principle, interpreting Qian as "life and mind" and Kun as "material energy," and regarding Qian and Kun as two complementary potencies of cosmic life—a philosophical construction rather than classical textual exegesis.

Why is this book said to have a special significance in intellectual history?

Completed in the early 1960s, it insisted on Confucian philosophical writing in a specific historical context, continued the modern New Confucian consciousness of "entrusting the fate of culture," and embodied the spiritual perseverance of intellectuals amid the changes of the times.

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About the author

Xiong Shili Author · Chinese · 1885–1968

Xiong Shili (1885–1968) was a native of Huanggang, Hubei, and a renowned modern Chinese philosopher and thinker. He is regarded as the philosophical founder of the contemporary New Confucian movement and is honored as its pioneer. In his early years he joined the anti-Qing revolution; later he abandoned politics for scholarship, studied Buddhism under Ouyang Jingwu, and taught for many years at Peking University. He created his own “New Consciousness-Only” system, advocating the non-duality of substance and function and the transformation of opening and closing. His writings integrate Buddhist terminology with Confucian thought, combining dense argumentation with a vigorous style. His works include New Consciousness-Only, Original Confucianism, On Substance and Function, and Qiankun Yan, and they have had a profound influence on modern Chinese philosophy and Confucian studies.