Abstract
This paper examines the thought and mindset of Tu Fu (712-770). The aim is to illustrate that Tu Fu was not only a giant figure in China's poetic tradition, but held values of enormous significance in intellectual history. A common view among critical studies of Tu Fu's work holds that he embodies both the most honorable and most typical elements of traditional Chinese literati culture, and for this reason, his poetry has received consistently high praise. This paper argues from a historical point of view that, in his own times, Tu Fu's mindset actually belonged to a relatively new model. He was a participant of an emerging trend in the mid-eighth century that led, eventually, to the great T'ang-Sung intellectual change. The author hopes that this paper may contribute to a deepened understanding of the process and features of the transition in question.
This paper is divided into five sections. The first discusses Tu Fu's socio-political views through an analysis of a recurrent theme in Tu's poems. The second gives a general description of the Buddhist and Taoist ingredients in Tu's thought. The third section explains the impact of Confucian values on Tu's internal life, pointing out the differences between Tu's thought and the traditional medieval mentality. The fourth compares Tu's ideas with those of his companions, showing clearly that, within the contemporary intellectual context, Tu was an atypical element. The final section conjectures that the most influential intellectual aspect of Tu's poems may be his image of the non-Chinese "barbarian." A concise conclusion is also given.
Keywords
Tu Fu, T'ang intellectual history, the Confucian revival in the mid- and late T'ang
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