Balanced Discourses

Wang ChongQunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.6

Word count: 176K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Conduct may be consistently worthy, yet office does not come by consistent encounter. Worth or worthlessness is a matter of capacity; encounter or non-encounter is a matter of time. Lofty capacity and clean conduct cannot guarantee honor and rank; meager ability and muddy conduct cannot guarantee lowliness and meanness. Some with high capacity and clean conduct, meeting no encounter, are relegated to the lower ranks; some with meager ability and muddy conduct, meeting encounter, stand above the multitude. Each age has its own way of selecting scholars, and scholars too each have their own way of advancing.

Editor's review

Lunheng is the representative work of Wang Chong of the Eastern Han. This edition, published by Qunyan Press, offers readers a new access to this classic of thought. The book examines the relation between capacity and encounter, proposing that "worth or worthlessness is a matter of capacity; encounter or non-encounter is a matter of time," and argues that those of lofty capacity and clean conduct are not necessarily honored, nor those of meager ability and muddy conduct necessarily lowly; each age selects scholars by its own way, and each scholar advances by his own path. This calm analysis of talent evaluation and circumstance reflects Wang Chong's empirical, anti-superstitious orientation and makes Lunheng an important text for understanding Han thought and the scholar's situation. The book suits close study of classical thought and readers interested in views of talent, fate, and Han society. In reading, grasp the core pair of "capacity" and "encounter," consider the background of Han official selection and scholars' advancement, and note Wang Chong's habitual use of analogy and rebuttal.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying Han intellectual history and classical philosophical texts
Thoughtful readers interested in talent evaluation, circumstance, and fate
Language learners needing excerpts from Lunheng as classical Chinese reading material
Readers of literature and history interested in Wang Chong's thought and the situation of Han scholars

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking light stories or casual reading
Beginners lacking classical Chinese who do not wish to read the original with annotations

Reading tips

First organize the core arguments around "capacity" and "encounter," then read the argumentation chapter by chapter.
Understand the book's practical concerns in light of Han official selection and scholars' advancement.
Keep a notebook to excerpt key sentences and mark Wang Chong's analogies and rebuttals.
When classical Chinese is difficult, consult a reliable annotated translation, grasp the general meaning, then return to the original.

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

版权信息
序
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四
卷五
卷六
卷七
卷八
卷九
卷十
卷十一
卷十二
卷十三
卷十四
卷十五
卷十六
卷十七
卷十八
卷十九

FAQ

What is the core view of Lunheng?

In this book, Wang Chong focuses on the relation between capacity and encounter, stressing that worth is a matter of capacity and encounter a matter of time; lofty capacity and clean conduct are not necessarily honored, nor meager ability and muddy conduct necessarily lowly. He thus reflects on simplistic worldly judgments of talent, embodying an empirical, anti-superstitious orientation.

Can I read Lunheng without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Reading the original directly is somewhat difficult; it is advisable first to use a reliable annotated translation to grasp the general meaning, then return to key passages of the original. One may also begin with passages on capacity and encounter, which are relatively concentrated and clear in argument; with reference works, work through them sentence by sentence and gradually adapt to Wang Chong's style and argumentation.

What practical significance does reading Lunheng have today?

The discussion of capacity and encounter helps readers view calmly the relation between ability evaluation and external opportunity, and avoid attributing success or failure simply to the individual or the environment. Its empirical, anti-superstitious attitude also offers a reference for judging information and examining prejudices in daily life, making it a suitable classical text for reflecting on views of talent and fate.

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About the author

Wang Chong Author · Chinese

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.