THEZHOU XUN周訓 AND “ELEVATING THE WORTHY” (SHANG XIAN尚賢)

Abstract

AbstractThe present paper aims to investigate the idea of “elevating the worthy” (shang xian尚賢) as it appears in the newly found manuscriptZhou xun周訓. This manuscript is part of the Peking University collection (Beijing daxue cang Xi-Han zhushu北京大學藏西漢竹書), presumably copied in the first half of the first centuryb.c.e. In sharp contrast to most recently discovered manuscripts promulgating “elevating the worthy,” theZhou xunintroduces the meritocratic principle to support hereditary power transfer, by positing that the right to rule should be passed on to the most able son of a ruler. I argue that this position served several purposes. First, it provided a solution to the central problem of abdication discourse, namely, the conflict between the principles of “respecting worthies” (zun xian尊賢) and “loving kin” (ai qin愛親). Second, this interpretation of “elevating the worthy” entailed a significant extension of the number of potential contenders to the throne, challenging the system of primogeniture, the very cornerstone of political order in early China. This fundamental challenge appears to be deliberate and can be interpreted as an attempt to formulate a new paradigm for the ruling house of Zhou. The complete absence of the idea of Heaven's Mandate (tian ming天命) from theZhou xuncertainly underscores its radical departure from Zhou conventional claims to power. However, I argue that, given the close association between theZhou xunand theLüshi chunqiu呂氏春秋, it is also plausible that the former's theory was created to justify the Zhou's overthrow by the Qin 秦. In any case, theZhou xunprovides us with new insights into how the idea of “elevating the worthy” was applied to politics in early China.