The Great Declaration, Part III

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.9

Word count: 381 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The "Great Declaration" belongs to Mei Ze's Old Text Shangshu and is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections; the New Text Shangshu does not contain this chapter.

Editor's review

The "Great Declaration, Part Three" is the last of the three chapters of the "Great Declaration" in the Old Text Shangshu presented by Mei Ze; together with the upper and middle chapters it belongs to the same textual system, while the New Text Shangshu does not contain this chapter—an issue of authenticity and attribution that is itself an unavoidable background for reading. This chapter centers on King Wu of Zhou's oath at the campaign against the tyrant Zhou, with stern language and a strong conception of the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven and of "punishing the tyrant to relieve the people," making it important material for understanding pre-Qin political ethics and later narratives of the "Tang-Wu revolution." The 2024 Bashu Press edition gives readers access to a collated text and is suitable as companion reading for studying related chapters of the Shangshu. It should be read within the overall context of the three "Great Declaration" chapters, noting the rhetorical strategies of the oath and the expression of the Mandate of Heaven view, while maintaining a clear awareness of the authenticity problem of the Old Text Shangshu and avoiding equating it directly with early Western Zhou documents. For readers concerned with the history of classical learning, the history of political thought, and early rhetoric, this short piece can serve as an incision that leads to further questions about the formation of classics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers studying the Shangshu and the history of classical learning, for comparing New Text and Old Text chapters
Readers of political thought history concerned with pre-Qin views of the Mandate of Heaven and the Tang-Wu revolution narrative
Lovers of classical texts needing short Classical Chinese materials for close-reading practice
Advanced readers interested in the authenticity problem of Mei Ze's Old Text Shangshu

Not a good fit for

Beginners hoping to read the entire Shangshu systematically and needing a complete annotation system
Readers who prefer vernacular stories and popular historical narrative and have no patience for Classical Chinese oaths
Those expecting a self-contained complete narrative and unwilling to read in connection with the other chapters

Reading tips

Read the upper and middle "Great Declaration" chapters first, then this one, to grasp the levels and progression of tone across the three oaths.
Compare with related chapters of the New Text Shangshu, noting differences in wording and concepts in the Old Text Shangshu.
While reading, excerpt statements about the Mandate of Heaven and the people's fate, and sort out their argumentative logic rather than merely recording conclusions.
Read together with discussions of Mei Ze's presentation of the text in the history of classical learning, maintaining a cautious attitude toward the authenticity question.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
周书·泰誓下第三

FAQ

Why is the "Great Declaration, Part Three" not in the New Text Shangshu?

According to the sources, the "Great Declaration" belongs to Mei Ze's Old Text Shangshu and is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, while the New Text Shangshu does not contain this chapter. That is, the New Text system transmitted by Fu Sheng in the Han dynasty did not include the "Great Declaration"; the three present chapters come from the Old Text Shangshu system presented by Mei Ze. When reading, this difference in attribution should be taken as a premise for understanding the text's nature, rather than simply treating it as an early Western Zhou original.

Can I read only the "Great Declaration, Part Three"?

You can, but reading it in isolation is not recommended. The "Great Declaration" is divided into upper, middle, and lower chapters belonging to the same textual system, and the three connect with one another in oath context and tone. Reading the lower chapter alone easily loses the context and makes the overall argumentative levels hard to grasp. It is best to read at least the upper and middle chapters together, and then compare with other related Shangshu chapters for a more complete understanding.

What background knowledge do I need before reading this?

It is best first to understand the basic distinction between the New Text and Old Text Shangshu and to know that the "Great Declaration" belongs to Mei Ze's Old Text Shangshu system; at the same time, have a general impression of the historical narrative of King Wu's campaign against Zhou and understand the stylistic features of oath speeches. Basic Classical Chinese reading ability is enough to begin; when encountering key concepts such as the Mandate of Heaven and the people's fate, consult relevant annotations and works on the history of classical learning.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.