Yang Zhu in the Eyes of Kang Youwei

Abstract

AbstactKang Youwei never conducted close philological research on texts related to Yang Zhu, nor was he interested in this figure for his own sake. In Kang’s core endeavor to establish Confucianism as a state religion or doctrine (guojiao), his portrayal of Yang Zhu gave a strong voice and lineage structure to the supposedly powerful opposition of Daoism to Confucianism and Mohism. Acting as Laozi’s main disciple, Yang became representative of his “non-humane” outlook, testified to Confucius’s chronological priority, and explained the absence of criticism of Laozi in the Mencius. His views on Yang Zhu were remarkably distinct and very influential at the verge of Chinese philosophy. They left a strong mark on Republican scholarship studying and reevaluating Yang Zhu.