EACS-2016. Book of Abstracts

Section 10 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies 113 Schneider Holger (International Consortium for Research in the Humanities (Erlangen)) Naming Numbers and Picturing Arguments. Aspects of Diagrammatic Reasoning in Computistic Cosmology Key words: Cosmology, Diagrams, Yijing, Classics, Knowledge (Explication of), Representation (Theory of), Song Dynasty. This paper discusses practices of diagrammatic reasoning alongside verbal argumentation in cosmological sources from different eras. Black and white dot charts (hei bai dian tu 黑白點圖 ) are a type of diagram that is traditionally connected with the Song dynasty reinvention of the legendary cultural foundational docu- ments Hetu and Luoshu. During the early Song dynasty, these numerologically motivated diagrams were enhanced through computistic arguments by Liu Mu 劉牧 (?1011–?1064) and other visionary scholars. By way of suggesting evidence they function as a “language” allowing for quasi formal proof when dealing with unresolved cosmological problems handed down from earlier periods. While actual (transmitted) diagrams and visual discourse begin to flourish in larger numbers only from the Song onward, their antecedents date back to far older textual sources. Among these are the Appended Sayings to the Book of Changes (Yijing) and various exegetes from different schools such as Jing Fang, Meng Xi, Wang Bi, KongYingda, and others. My presentation will show examples of the application of these diagrams to a selection of traditional areas of inquiry such as cosmogony, divination, and calendars. Analyzing how implicit knowledge translates into visualization and verbal elaboration we will see how diagrams function as tools for experiment, hypothesis, and proof. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the way in which various signs such as images (xiang 象 ), numbers ( shu 數 ), charts (tu 圖 ), and words (ci 辭 ) worked together to reflect an underlying concept of what might be called a theory of representation. Further, critics of Liu Mu such as Li Gou and numerologists such as Shao Yong will shed light on the reception of the earliest stages of the School of Charts and Books (tu shu xue pai 圖 書學派 ). Schumacher Jorg (University of Geneva) Graham’s “Background of the Mencian Theory of Human Nature” Reloaded Key words: Mengzi, Confucianism, Zhu Xi, human nature, causality Angus Graham’s 1967 landmark article “The Background of the Mencian Theory of Human Nature” centers on the concept of xing 性 , ‘human nature’, and how it arose from a mere sideline of the concept of sheng 生 , ‘life’. The origin of Mengzi’s prime philosophical concept could then be spotted in a declared rival: Yang Zhu, the man committed to quan sheng 全生 ‘preservation of (individual) life’ and caricatured in Mengzi 7A26 as the defender of egoism, “not ready to pull out a single hair from his body to profit the world.” Graham’s exposition abounds in strong arguments and impressing breadth of sources. But arriving at the last, “controversial” chapter 4B26, held back to make his final points, Graham blunders. 4B26 starts out stating that “those under heaven who talk about xing, (have) only gu 故 ‘cause’ ” to argue about. But adds that “arguing by gu is (inevitably) on the basis of li 利 (profit).” It seems difficult to imagine that anybody reading this out of context would distort it’s basic rhetoric to make the words “those under heaven” refer to Mengzi’s own view. Within context though, we get an irritating statement: Mengzi seems to suggest that those talking incessantly about xing 性 should better keep quiet. That their providing “causes” to explain human nature was in fact no different from acting with a view on premeditated profit. King Hui in 1A1 would know what Mengzi was talking about. Everything would fit, except that in books 6 and 7 “Mengzi” is talking abundantly about xing. So abundantly that Zhu Xi had no scruples to torture grammar, making this Mengzi’s own opinion. To correct what was now torn, Zhu Xi was obliged to torture also the meaning of li, turning it into 順利 , later translated by Legge as ‘natural’. Graham, who pretended to correct Legge’s mistake (which in fact is Zhu Xi’s) ended up instead endorsing it. The result is one of the most consequential mistakes in Confucian literature. In my paper I will try to show why and provide remedy.