Mar 12, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald
Mingru xue'an 明儒學案 "Scholarly annals of Ming Confucians" is a collection of biographies of eminent Confucian scholars from the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) compiled by the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) writer and philosopher Huang Zongxi 黄宗羲 (1610-1695). It is not the oldest, but the most famous Chinese book of the xue'an 學案 "scholarly cases" genre. It can be called a history of thought combining several methods of historiography.
The 62-juan long book includes the biographies of 202 scholars that are arranged according to 19 scholarly cases (xue'an). For each chapter, a small preface is provided that includes short biographies, thought, career and contents of teaching, as well as short extracts from the saying of the respective scholar and his disciples. The author also adds his own comment to the importance of this particular school.
According to Huang Zongxi, Ming-period Confucian philosophy was first relying on the teachings of the Song-period 宋 (960-1279) brothers Cheng Hao 程顥 (1032-1085) and Cheng Yi 程頤 (1033-1107), and Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200; Cheng-Zhu zhi xue 程朱之學), while the so-called School of the Mind (xinxue 心學) of Lu Jiuyuan 陸九淵 (1139-1193) was only of secondary importance.
The main early representatives of the Cheng-Zhu school were Xue Xuan 薛瑄 (1389-1464) and Wu Yubi 吳與弼 (1391-1469), while Chen Xianzhang 陳獻章 (1428-1500年) represented the School of the Mind. In the mid-Ming period Wang Shouren 王守仁 (Wang Yangming 王陽明, 1472-1529) was the leading Confucian person, as an adherent of the School of Mind. Yet the thoughts of his school (Wang men 王門 "Wang-ists") were also influenced by other groups and finally spread in different schools whose proponents were living in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Zhixiu 止修 and Taizhou 泰州.
In the late Ming period, the Jishan School 蕺山學派 and the Donglin School 東林學派 were the main branches of the two grand Neo-Confucian traditions. Huang Zongxi himself supported the tradition of Wang Shouren. His book is, nevertheless, a very important tool for the study of the various philosophical schools and sub-schools flourishing during the Ming period, to see how they came into being and influenced each other.
The book was finished in 1676, yet the oldest surviving edition is that of the Ziyun Studio 紫筠齋 from 1707. It is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 and Sibu beiyao 四部備要. A modern annotated edition was published in 1985 by the Zhonghua Book Company 中華書局.
The book was translated by Julia Ching (1987), The Records of Ming Scholars (Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press).
Table 1. Contents of the Mingru xue'an 明儒學案
| 河東薛瑄 |
Xue Xuan from Hedong, 15 persons |
| 三原王恕 |
Wang Shu from Sanyuan, 6 persons |
| 崇仁吳與弼 |
Wu Yubi from Chongren, 10 persons |
| 白沙陳獻章 |
Chen Xianzhang from Baisha, 12 persons |
| 姚江王守仁 |
Wang Shouren from Yaojiang, appendix 2 persons |
| 浙中王門徐愛 |
Wangists from Zhejiang, Xu Ai, 18 persons |
| 江右王門鄒守益 |
Wangists from Jiangsu, Zou Shouyi, 27 persons, appendix 6 persons |
| 南中王門黄省曾 |
Wangists from Jiangxi, Huang Xingzeng, 11 persons |
| 楚中王門蔣信 |
Wangists from Hunan, Jiang Xin, 2 persons |
| 北方王門穆孔暉 |
Wangists from the north, Mu Konghui, 7 persons |
| 粵閩王門薛侃 |
Wangists from Guangdong and Fujian, Xue Kuan, 2 persons |
| 止修李材 |
Li Cai from Zhixiu |
| 泰州王艮 |
Wang Gen from Taizhou, 18 persons |
| 甘泉湛若水 |
Zhan Ruoshui from Ganquan, 11 persons |
| 諸儒上方孝孺 |
Various Confucians A, Fang Xiaoru, 15 persons |
| 諸儒中羅欽順 |
Various Confucians B, Luo Qinshun, 10 persons |
| 諸儒下李中 |
Various Confucians C, Li Zhong, 18 persons |
| 東林顧憲成 |
Gu Xianchen from the Donglin faction, 17 persons |
| 蕺山劉宗周 |
Liu Zongzhou from Jishan |
Sources:
Chen Chang 陳暢 (2016). "Mingru xue'an zhong de zongzhuan yu daotong: Lun Mingru xue'an de zhuanshu xingzhi 《明儒學案》中的“宗傳”與“道統”——論《明儒學案》的著述性質", Zhexue dongtai 哲學動態, 2016 (11).
Chen Chang 陳暢 (2019). "Getixing yu gonggongxing zhi jian: Lun Mingru xue'an de xingshangxue jiegou ji qi dangdai yiyi 個體性與公共性之間——論《明儒學案》的形上學結構及其當代意義", Zhongguo zhexue shi 中國哲學史, 2019 (9).
Chen Weiping 陳偉平 (2012). "Tupo chuantong, shuxie xinshi. Mingru xue'an dui Zhongguo zhexue shi xueke de lishi xiandao yiyi 突破傳統,書寫信史——《明儒學案》對中國哲學史學科的歷史先導意義", Renwen zazhi 人文雜志, 2012 (5).
Chen Ying 陳瑛, Xu Qixian 許啟賢, ed. (1989). Zhongguo lunli da cidian 中國倫理大辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe), 426.
Gu Jian 古鑒 (1997). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Men Kui 門巋, Zhang Yanjin 張燕瑾, ed. Zhongguo guocui da cidian 中華國粹大辭典 (Xianggang: Guoji wenhua chuban gongsi), 501.
Guo Hou'an 郭厚安 (1998). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Zhao Jihui 趙吉惠, Guo Hou'an 郭厚安, ed. Zhongguo ruxue cidian 中國儒學辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe), 225.
Guo Qi 郭齊 (2003). "Shuo Huang Zongxi Mingru xue'an wannian dingben 說黃宗羲《明儒學案》晚年定本", Shixue shi yanjiu 史學史研究, 2003 (5).
Hu Xiao 胡嘯 (1992). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, ed. Zhongguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, Vol. Zhexue 哲學卷 (Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe), 784.
Jiaoyu da cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 《教育大辭典》編纂委員會, ed. (1991). Jiaoyu da cidian 教育大辭典, Part 8, Zhongguo gudai jiaoyu shi 中國古代教育史 (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe), Vol. 1, 331.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, ed. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 974.
Lu Zhongfeng 盧鐘鋒 (1987). "Lun Song-Yuan xue'an, Mingru xue'an de lixue shi guandian 論《宋元學案》《明儒學案》的理學史觀點", Kongzi yanjiu 孔子研究, 1987 (7).
Satō Rentarō 佐藤錬太郎 (2017). "Mingmo Qingchu xiangfan duili de Yangming xuepai shi: Zhou Rudeng Shengxue zongzhuan yu Huang Zongxi de bijiao 明末清初相反對立的陽明學派史——周汝登《聖學宗傳》與黃宗羲《明儒學案》的比較", Hunan Daxue xuebao (Shehui kexue ban) 湖南大學學報(社會科學版), 2017 (1).
Sheng Guangzhi 盛廣智 (1996). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Feng Kezheng 馮克正, Fu Qingsheng 傅慶升, ed. Zhuzi baijia da cidian 諸子百家大辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe), 299.
Wang Yuguang 王余光, Xu Yan 徐雁, ed. (1999). Zhongguo dushu da cidian 中國讀書大辭典 (Nanjing: Nanjing daxue chubanshe), 1207.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. (1987). Jianming Zhongguo guji cidian 簡明中國古籍辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 498.
Wu Jiewen 吳捷文 (1997). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Pang Pu 龐樸, ed. Zhongguo ruxue 中國儒學 (Shanghai: Dongfan chuban zhongxin), Vol. 3, 16.
Xin Guanjie 辛冠潔 (1992). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Vol. Zhexue 哲學 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chuabanshe), Vol. 1, 624.
Xu Xinghai 徐興海, Liu Jianli 劉建麗, ed. (2000). Rujia wenhua cidian 儒家文化辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), 中州古籍出版社296.
Yao Wenyong 姚文永 (2010). "Qiantan Mingru xue'an zai bianjixue shang de tese 淺談《明儒學案》在編輯學上的特色", Bianji zhi you 編輯之友, 2010 (7).
Yao Wenyong 姚文永 (2014). "Qinxi Huang Zongxi dui xue'anti de sheji: Jian shi Mingru xue'an wie li zhuru zhi yuanyin 淺析黃宗羲對學案體的設計——兼釋《明儒學案》未列諸儒之原因", Tushuguan yanjiu yu gongzuo 圖書館研究與工作, 2014 (3).
Zhang Ronghua 張榮華 (1994). "Mingru xue'an 明儒學案", in Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, ed. Zhongguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, Vol. Lishi 歷史卷 (Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe), 371.
Zhao Shulian 趙書廉, ed. (1986). Zhongguo zhexueshi xiao cidian 中國哲學史小辭典 (Zhengzhou: Henan renmin chubanshe), 419.
Zhen Hongshui 甄洪永, Li Ke 李珂 (2019). "Lun Huang Zongxi Mingru xue'an dui Mingdai guanxue de xi jiangou 論黃宗羲《明儒學案》對明代關學的新建構", Wuling xuekan 武陵學刊, 2019 (11).
Zhu Honglin 朱鴻林 (2012). "Liang Qichao yu Jieben Mingru xue'an 梁啓超與《節本明儒學案》", Zhongguo wenhua 中國文化, 2012 (5).
