The study of Chinese thought 6f the Late Ming Period has long been neglected. Intellectual trends of the Late Ming Period should systematically be studied, for it affects our understanding on later development especially the rise of textual research in Early Ch'ing ?
Intellectual thinking of the Late Ming Period can be said as
a period of intellectual enlightenment, if not the most creative and stimulating period in the history of Chinese thought. The revolt against Ch'eng-Chu or~odoxy and the appearance of iconoclastic thinkers formed a new trend in the development of intellectual thinking in Late Ming. It also effected the cultural and political environment of the period.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the intellectual
,trends of the Late Ming Period. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The First Chapter deals with the development of the Ch'eng-Chu School of Early Ming and the influence of the teaching' of Wang Yang-ming on Ming scholars; ,the following Chapter, however, centres on the rise of individualism as a subsidiary of iconoclastic thinking with special,reference on Li Chih, who brings the tide of individualistic thought to its height; Chapter Three analyses the textual research in Mid-Ming and the advocation of extensive learning by Chiao Hung; Chapter Four deals with the intellectual thought of the Tung-lin Party and the role they played in Late Ming politics; whereas Chapter Five, the conclusion, tries to evaluate the significance of all these trends.
University of Hong Kong April 1981
School:The University of Hong Kong
School Location:China - Hong Kong SAR
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:learning and scholarship china history ming dynasty 1368 1644 intellectual life
Date of Publication:01/01/1981