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Wang Bi (Chinese: 王弼; 226–249), courtesy name Fusi (Chinese: 輔嗣), was a Chinese philosopher and politician. During his brief career he produced commentaries on the Tao Te Ching and I Ching which were highly influential in Chinese philosophy.[1][2]
Life
Wang Bi served as a minor bureaucrat in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He died from an epidemic at the age of 23.[3][4]
Wang Bi's most important works are commentaries on Laozi's Tao Te Ching and the I Ching. The text of the Tao Te Ching that appeared with his commentary was widely considered the best copy of this work until the discovery of the Han-era Mawangdui texts in 1973. He was a scholar of Xuanxue.
Writings
At least three works by Wang Bi are known: a commentary on Confucius' Analects, which survives only in quotations; commentaries on the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching, which not only have survived but have greatly influenced subsequent Chinese thought on those two classics.
His commentary on the I Ching has been translated into English by Richard John Lynn, The Classic of Changes (New York: Columbia University, 1994) ISBN 0-231-08295-9
Several translations into English have been made of his commentary of the Tao Te Ching:
- Ariane Rump, translator Commentary on the Lao Tzu by Wang Pi, Monographs of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, No. 6 (Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1979) ISBN 0-8248-0677-8
- Richard John Lynn, translator The Classic of the Way and Virtue; A New Translation of the Tao-te Ching of Laozi as Interpreted by Wang Bi (New York: Columbia University, 1999) ISBN 0-2311-0581-9
- Rudolf Wagner, translator. A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing: Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi with Critical Text and Translation (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003) ISBN 0-791-45182-8
The German philosopher Kai Marchal wrote a literary essay about his experience of reading Wang Bi in times of global upheaval.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Wang Bi". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
- ^ "Wang Bi". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ Theobald, Ulrich. "Wang Bi 王弼 (www.chinaknowledge.de)". www.chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ Wagner, Rudolf G. (2000-01-06). The Craft of a Chinese Commentator: Wang Bi on the Laozi. SUNY Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-7914-4395-8.
- ^ https://www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/buch/tritt-durch-die-wand-und-werde-der-du-nicht-bist.html?lid=1
Works cited
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).
