Tao Te Ching
Zhang Xuecheng 章学诚 章学诚
(Chang Hsüeh-ch'eng)
1738 – 1801 CE
A famous historian, philosopher, and writer who was mainly unknown during his lifetime dying in poverty with few friends; Zhang Xuecheng's fame only began almost 100 years after he died. A revolutionary thinker, he crossed the status quo view that Confucianism is based on timeless principles and described it as an evolving set of realizations deepening as it faced and explained contemporary changes. He condemned self-serving partisanship, encouraged diversity, and individuation. A true advocate for the words over the sense, he emphasized the need to transcend language rather than becoming a slave to concepts. His focus on China's difficult struggle to blend the strong Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian traditions into what's called now neo-Confucianism; has a powerful relevance to our own time of intense cultural, political, and religious amalgamation.
Eras
Chinese
Qing dynasty (1644 – 1912 CE)Quotes by Zhang Xuecheng 章学诚 (5 quotes)
“The Six Classics are all history.”
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“Paths of learning are necessarily divergent, they reflect the diversity of mankind.”
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“Words are rooted in the mind and differ [from person to person] as much as faces do... the Tao is public, but the study of it is private.”
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“What will happen after 100 generations in the future can be inferred from the gain and loss of the Three Dynasties.”
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“How an one hold on to a fixed formula and impose it on others?... Everyone has different abilities and skills. The lofty are sharp and broad but unconcerned with with detail, the deep and contemplative take one step at a time and reach their destination gradually.”
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