王夫之 (Wáng Fūzhī)

17th Century · 儒家哲学 (Ru Jia Xue, Confucian Philosophy), Political Thought

Wang Fuzhi (1619–1692) was a prominent Ming loyalist scholar who, after the Manchu conquest, lived in reclusion, dedicating his life to an immense body of philosophical and historical writing. He systematically critiqued prevailing Neo-Confucian idealism, particularly the Lu-Wang school, advocating for a robust materialist philosophy grounded in historical experience and practical governance, profoundly influencing later generations of Chinese thought.

Notable Works

• Du Tongjian Lun (讀通鑑論 - On Reading the Comprehensive Mirror)
• Huang Shu (黃書 - Yellow Book)
• E Meng (噩夢 - Nightmare)
• Chunqiu Zuo Zhuan Bo Yi (春秋左傳博議 - Comprehensive Discussions on the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals)
• Si Wen Lu (思問錄 - Records of Reflections on Questions)
• Zhou Yi Wai Zhuan (周易外傳 - Outer Commentary on the Book of Changes)
• Zhou Yi Nei Zhuan (周易內傳 - Inner Commentary on the Book of Changes)
• Zhangzi Zheng Meng Zhu (張子正蒙注 - Commentary on Master Zhang's Correcting Ignorance)

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