Journal paper
| Issue No. | No. 73 |
|---|---|
| Title | A Study on the Academic Network of Cheng Yi’s Last Years: Elites, Emerging Scholar-officials, and Civilian Disciples |
| Author | Ji, Yan-ru |
| Page | 57-110 |
| Abstract | This essay examines the composition and characteristics of the disciples
and colleagues of Cheng Yi (1033-1107) and his brother Cheng Hao (1032-1085). Particular attention is paid to the years between the start of the Yuanyou period (1086) and the start of the Daguan period (1107), when Cheng Yi passed away. Prior to the Yuanyou period, the disciples of the two Chengs were predominantly northern-born offspring of intermarried officials and aristocrats. Even after the onset of the Yuanyou period, this group continued to constitute a significant portion of Cheng Yi’s followers.However, from the later Yuanyou years to the Shaosheng period (1094-1098),there was a marked influx of students from the Imperial Academy, as well as of scholars from the southern regions. This new wave of Cheng followers, many of whom were Imperial Academy students or successful candidates in the imperial examination, benefited from extensive family networks and substantial economic support, which enabled their scholarly pursuits. After the year 1100, commoners from the northern regions began to appear among Cheng Yi’s disciples. This group, lacking familial or social ties to the Cheng Brothers, tended to focus on the study of mind-nature and personal self-cultivation. Amidst political upheavals, members of all three groups demonstrated a willingness to relinquish official positions and endure political persecution in order to remain steadfast in their allegiance to their mentors. This not only attests to the unwavering determination of the disciples of the Cheng brothers but also indicates that the teachings of the Luoyang school were not confined to the scholarly elite; they were embraced as well by commoners who had no intention of entering government service. Previous scholarship on Cheng Yi’s disciples has tended to focus on prominent figures such as Yang Shi (1053-1135), Hu Anguo (1074-1138), and others, often analyzing the evolution of their academic thought.Occasionally, such studies approach the subject through the lens of factional conflict between the xindang (reform faction) and the jiudang (anti-reform faction), discussing the experiences of Luoyang school disciples. By analyzing the chronology and social characteristics of different groups of Luoyang school disciples, this paper provides a perspective not emphasized in previous research. |
| Keyword | Cheng Brothers, Cheng Yi, New-Confucianism, Social networks, Luoyang, Confucianism, Song Dynasty, a government official (shidafu 士大夫) , Epitaphs |
| Attached File | File download |