The concept of human nature in Wei-Jin Chinese philosophy

Abstract

This thesis examines two representative philosophers in Wei-Jin China, i.e., Wang Bi and Guo Xianga??s views of human nature. It is my submission that Wang Bi understood human nature as consisting of two parts, i.e., nature (Dao) and nature (qi), while Guo Xiang formulated that the nature of each human being has its limits and people should thus develop self-knowledge of their respective limits. As opposed to a popular yet sectarian view that Wei-Jin philosophy is a revival of early Daoism, the thesis suggests that Wei-Jin philosophy represents a distinctive development to the tradition. A comparison between Wang Bi and Guo Xiang shows the dynamic development of the tradition from Han to Wei Jin and within the Wei-Jin period. While both philosophers inherited certain basic ideas from the tradition, they also contributed to its renewal by providing their respective answers to the problems that Han Confucians failed to address.