Qian Dehong - Philosophy

Philosophy

Qian was an early student (or disciple) of the philosopher Wang Yangming, together with his classmate Wang Ji. Qian spent most of his life studying confusian classics and developing the philosophy of the Yangming School of Mind (陽明心學/阳明心学; Japanese: 陽明学; Japanese romanization: Ōyōmei-gaku, Ō stands for the surname "Wang", yōmei stands for "Yangming", gaku means "school of learning").

Qian collected and emended Wang's philosophical works. When Wang died, he also edited Wang's full biography. Qian demonstrated and further developed Wang Yangming's philosophy, especially the explanation of Wang Yangming's influential Four-Sentence Doctrine (四句教), however his interpretation was quite different from his classmate and colleague Wang Ji's.

Qian wrote the preface and postscript for Wang Yangming's most important philosophical work - The Record of Teaching and Practising (《傳習錄》/《传习录》)

Read more about this topic:  Qian Dehong

Famous quotes containing the word philosophy:

    A new philosophy generally means in practice the praise of some old vice.
    Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)

    While you’re playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely dense person. But just begin a conversation with him about something inedible, politics or science, for instance, and he ends up in a deadend or starts in on such an obtuse and base philosophy that you can only wave your hand and leave.
    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)

    Nature in darkness groans
    And men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night:
    Restless they turn on beds of sorrow; in their inmost brain
    Feeling the crushing wheels, they rise, they write the bitter words
    Of stern philosophy & knead the bread of knowledge with tears & groans.
    William Blake (1757–1827)