Abstract
In this article, I examine the thought of three Song-dynasty intellectuals — Chen Xiang, Wang Ling, and Wang Kaizu — in an effort to shed light on the development of a new intellectual orientation in Confucian thought that appeared between the late 1030s and late 1060s. This intellectual orientation was characterized by the belief in a universal human nature, the view of the Dao as a priori, the assumption that humanity and the things and affairs of the world existed as a unity, and the treatment of the Zhongyong and Mencius classics as important intellectual resources for grounding the above claims. The writings of Chen and the two Wangs can help elucidate the transition away from guwen ideas and towards this new orientation in Confucian thought. Their intellectual views are also important because they have the potential to refine our understanding of the larger intellectual milieu in which Daoxue was produced and in which it developed.
Keywords
Chen Xiang, Wang Ling, Wang Kaizu, Confucian learning, Daoxue
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