On Real Knowledge
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of history and literature interested in Han thought and Wang Chong's Lunheng
- University students seeking to train critical thinking and an awareness of evidence
- Teachers and self-learners who need classical Chinese argumentative texts for reading practice
- Beginning readers studying ancient conceptions of knowledge and modes of argumentation
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting light stories or a practical handbook of modern interpersonal techniques
- Complete beginners with no classical Chinese and no willingness to consult annotations
- Readers who only want quick conclusions and are unwilling to read the arguments closely
Reading tips
- First read through once to grasp the main theme of "true knowledge," then go paragraph by paragraph through Wang Chong's evidence and the positions he refutes.
- Keep a notebook to excerpt key judgment sentences, and summarize each paragraph's argumentative logic in your own words.
- Read alongside other chapters of the Lunheng to understand the overall shape of Wang Chong's thought.
- After reading, relate the text's principle of seeking truth to present-day situations of evaluating information and write a short commentary.
About the publisher
Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 实知篇第七十八
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About the author
Wang Chong (27–c. 97), courtesy name Zhongren, was a native of Shangyu in Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). A thinker, literary critic, and atheist of the Eastern Han, he entered the Imperial Academy in Luoyang in his youth and studied under Ban Biao; later he left office, stayed at home, and devoted himself to writing. His representative work, the eighty-five-chapter Lunheng (Balanced Inquiries), criticizes Chenwei superstition and the theory of interactions between Heaven and humanity, advocates a naturalist theory of qi, and stands as an important representative of Han-dynasty materialist thought. Wang Chong valued evidence and analysis in his writing, often developing arguments through questions and debates in a plain but sharp style. The collection holds sixty-nine of his works, including such pieces as Shizhi pian, Wenkong pian, Ziran pian, Daoxu pian, Duizuo pian, and Hanwen pian, covering philosophy, social criticism, and literary appreciation. He championed independent thinking and opposed blind submission to authority, exerting a lasting influence on later thought and literary criticism.
