黄宗羲的门户关怀与《明儒学案》的编纂 = An Inquiry into Huang Zongxi's (1610-1695) Sectarian concerns and his compilation of the Mingru Xue'an

Abstract

Huang Zongxi (1610-1695) was both a historian and a thinker. Previous studies privilege him in either capacity. This thesis aims to show that Huang?s famous history of Ming Confucian thought (Mingru Xue?an, Scholarly annals of Ming Confucians) was guided by his persistent sectarian concerns within the Confucian philosophical tradition. A firm adherent of Neo-Confucian philosophy, Huang advocated strongly against the exclusivity of the Cheng-Zhu school that was revered as Confucian orthodoxy. With his oeuvres as the vehicle of his stance on the legitimacy of Wang Yangming?s (1472-1529) teachings in the Confucian tradition of learning, he vociferated his demands to reinstate Wang?s status as an enlightened proponent of sagely practices. In particular, the Mingru Xue?an was noted for his predilection in favouring Wang Yangming?s School of the Mind. Yet, the ways his magnum opus exhibits how Huang devoted extensive attention to Wang?s school of thought should be examined more closely with regard to the subtleties and nuances in his Mingru Xue?an as historical writing.