Lunheng

Classical Chinese text by Wang Chong (80 AD)

Lunheng

Traditional Chinese| 《論衡》
Simplified Chinese| 《论衡》
Literal meaning| Discourses in the Balance
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| 《Lùnhéng》
Wade–Giles| Lun-heng

The Lunheng, also known by numerous English translations, is a wide-ranging Chinese classic text by Wang Chong (27 – c. 100). First published in 80, it contains critical essays on natural science and Chinese mythology, philosophy, and literature.

## Name

[edit]

A page from a Ming dynasty printed copy of Lunheng

The title Lunheng combines lun 論 or 论 "discuss; talk about; discourse; decide on; determine; mention; regard; consider" and heng 衡 "crosswise; balance beam; weigh; measure; judge; appreciate". English translations of the title include "Disquisitions" (Alfred Forke), "Critical Essays" (Feng Yu-lan),[1] "The Balanced Inquiries" (Wing-tsit Chan),[2] or "Discourses Weighed in the Balance" (Joseph Needham).

## Text

[edit]

The received Lunheng comprises 85 pian 篇 "articles; sections; chapters" in 30 juan 巻 "scrolls; volumes; books", with more than 200,000 characters. Actually, 84 pian is more accurate because the text only contains the title of Chapter 44 Zhaozhi 招致.

Yang Wenchang (楊文昌) edited the first printed Lunheng edition, which was the basis for subsequent editions. Its 1045 preface notes that Yang compared 2 complete and 7 partial textual copies and corrected 11,259 characters.

"No commentaries to the Lun heng appear to have been written before the nineteenth century," write Pokora and Loewe,[3] which is unusual among Chinese classics. The first Lunheng commentators were Yu Yue (1821–1907), Sun Yirang (1848–1908), and Yang Shoujing (1839–1915).

## History

[edit]

Based on internal evidence, Forke concludes the Later Han dynasty Lunheng text "must date" from the years 76–84.[4] Chapter 38 (齊世 "The Equality of the Ages"[5]) says, "Our present sage and enlightened sovereign is continuing the blessings and the prosperity of the reigns of" Emperor Guangwu (r. 25–57) and Emperor Ming (r. 58–75), which implies the period of Emperor Zhang (r. 75–88). Chapter 30 (講瑞 "Arguments on Ominous Creatures"),[6] notes it was completed during the Jianchu 建初 era (76–84).

Feng notes the Lunheng "was probably completed" during the years 82 and 83.[7] "The authenticity of the work has not been brought into question", write Pokora and Loewe,[8] and the text "may possibly have been completed between 70 and 80", based upon collections of Wang's earlier writings or essays.

## Content

[edit]

The contents of the Lunheng are summarized by Pokora and Loewe.

> In discussing natural phenomena and their implications or causes, matters of popular belief and misconception and political issues, the book is often written in polemical form. A controversial statement is made, to be followed by the author's critical rebuttal, which is often supported by quotations from earlier writings. In many ways the Lun heng may be regarded as an encyclopaedic collection of the claims and beliefs of Chinese religion, thought and folklore.[8]

Wang's Lunheng frequently espouses Daoist notions of naturalism. For example, Chapter 54 Ziran 自然 "Spontaneity" says.

> By the fusion of the fluids [qi] of Heaven and Earth all things of the world are produced spontaneously, just as by the mixture of the fluids of husband and wife children are born spontaneously. Among the things thus produced, creatures with blood in their veins are sensitive of hunger and cold. Seeing that grain can be eaten, they use it as food, and discovering that silk and hemp can be worn, they take it as raiment. Some people are of opinion that Heaven produces grain for the purpose of feeding mankind, and silk and hemp to cloth them. That would be tantamount to making Heaven the farmer of man or his mulberry girl [who feeds the silkworms], it would not be in accordance with spontaneity, therefore this opinion is very questionable and unacceptable.

> Reasoning on Taoist principles we find that Heaven [tian] emits its fluid everywhere. Among the many things of this world grain dispels hunger, and silk and hemp protect from cold. For that reason man eats grain, and wears silk and hemp. That Heaven does not produce grain, silk, and hemp purposely, in order to feed and cloth[e] mankind, follows from the fact that by calamitous changes it does not intend to reprove man. Things are produced spontaneously, and man wears and eats them; the fluid changes spontaneously, and man is frightened by it, for the usual theory is disheartening. Where would be spontaneity, if the heavenly signs were intentional, and where inaction [wu wei]?[9]

## References

[edit]

* Chan, Wing-Tsit (1969) [1963]. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691019642.
* Lun-hêng, Part 1. Philosophical Essays of Wang Ch'ung. Translated by Forke, Alfred. Leipzig: Harrassowitz. 1907.
* Feng, Yu-lan (1953). A History of Chinese Philosophy. Vol. 2 vols. E.J. Brill.
* Pokora, Timoteus; Loewe, Michael (1993). "Lun heng 論衡". In Michael Loewe (ed.). Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide. University of California Press (Institute of East Asian Studies). pp. 309–313.

Footnotes

1. ^ Feng 1953.
2. ^ Chan 1969.
3. ^ Pokora & Loewe 1993, p. 311.
4. ^ Forke 1907, p. 9.
5. ^ Forke 1907, p. 480.
6. ^ Forke 1907, p. 372.
7. ^ Feng 1953, p. 151.
8. ^ a b Pokora & Loewe 1993, p. 309.
9. ^ Forke 1907, p. 92, cf. Feng 1953, p. 152 and Chan 1969, p. 296.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Lun-hêng, Part 2. Miscellaneous Essays of Wang Ch'ung. Translated by Forke, Alfred. New York City: Paragon Book Gallery. 1962 [1911].
* Leslie, Donald. 1956. "Contribution to a new translation of the Lun heng", T'oung Pao 44:100–149.

## External links

[edit]

* Lunheng 論衡 "Discussive Weighing", ChinaKnowledge entry
* 論衡, Lunheng text in Traditional Chinese characters (in Chinese)
* 论衡, Lunheng text in Simplified Chinese characters (in Chinese)
* Lun Hêng (论衡),works by Wang Ch'ung, philosophical essays of Wang Ch'ung, translated from the Chinese and annotated by Aalfred Forke..

* v
* t
* e

Han dynasty topics

History|

* Chu–Han Contention (Feast at Swan Goose Gate)
* Lü Clan disturbance
* Rebellion of the Seven States
* Han dynasty in Inner Asia
* Han–Xiongnu War
* War of the Heavenly Horses
* Han conquest of Gojoseon
* Four Commanderies
* Southward expansion (Han–Minyue War
* Han conquest of Nanyue
* Han conquest of Dian
* First Chinese domination of Vietnam
* Trung sisters' rebellion
* Second Chinese domination of Vietnam)
* Xin dynasty
* Red Eyebrows and Lulin
* Chengjia
* Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions
* Way of the Five Pecks of Rice
* Yellow Turban Rebellion
* End of the Han dynasty
* Battle of Red Cliffs

Society and culture|

* Ban Gu
* Sima Qian
* Records of the Grand Historian
* Book of Han
* Book of the Later Han
* Records of the Three Kingdoms
* Flying Horse of Gansu
* Huainanzi
* Eight Immortals of Huainan
* Mawangdui Silk Texts
* Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals
* Yiwu Zhi
* Old Texts
* Han poetry
* Fu
* Eastern Han Chinese

Government and military|

* Ban Chao
* Ma Yuan
* Emperor
* list
* Family tree
* Three Lords and Nine Ministers
* Nine Ministers
* Three Ducal Ministers
* Kings
* Provinces and commanderies
* Protectorate of the Western Regions (Chief Official)
* Translation of government titles

Economy|

* Coinage
* Ancient Chinese coinage
* Silk Road
* Sino-Roman relations

Science and technology|

* Cai Lun
* Cai Yong
* Ding Huan
* Du Shi
* Hua Tuo
* Liu An
* Liu Xiang
* Liu Xin
* Luoxia Hong
* Sima Tan
* Wang Chong
* Zhang Heng
* Zhang Zhongjing

Texts|

* Balanced Discourse
* Book of Origins
* Book on Numbers and Computation
* Fangyan
* Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet
* The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art
* Huangdi Neijing
* Shuowen Jiezi
* Treatise on Cold Injury and Miscellaneous Disorders
* Zhoubi Suanjing

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Australia
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template