Papers by George L Israel
The World of the Orient, 2024
Nie Bao 聶豹 (1487-1563) was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and scholar-official of sixteenth century ... more Nie Bao 聶豹 (1487-1563) was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and scholar-official of sixteenth century Ming China. In his Ming ru xue an 明儒學案 (Case studies of Ming Confucians), Huang Zongxi 黃宗羲 placed him in the Jiangxi (Jiangyou 江右) group of Wang Yangming followers. Nie Bao met the influential founder of the Ming School of Mind in 1526 and was inspired by his teaching of the innate knowing (liangzhi 良知). However, he differed from other followers in his quietist approach to realizing and extending this knowledge. While developing his ideas over the course of two decades, as a holder of the highest civil service examination degree, Nie Bao also held a series of impactful official positions, and earned a reputation for effectiveness and integrity. However, he was also the unwitting victim of factionalism at the Ming court, which led to his imprisonment in 1548. The goal of this article is to provide a sketch of Nie Bao's political trajectory and intellectual development from his early years until his imprisonment, as well as translation of significant passages pertaining to that trajectory and development. By the time of his imprisonment, Nie Bao had articulated the essential elements of his philosophy of returning to the root (by which he meant silence), and attaining centeredness and, with that, his unique interpretation of his teacher's central tenet.
Bibliography of Wang Yangming English-Language Scholarship, 2023
A bibliography of English-language scholarship on Wang Yangming.
Journal of Chinese History
Journal of World Philosophies, 2020
On the premise that the good knowing (liangzhi 良知) is the originary reality, this article provide... more On the premise that the good knowing (liangzhi 良知) is the originary reality, this article provides a synopsis of Wang Yangming's exposition of the fundamental essence of liangzhi. The self-existent resemblances of the originary reality are outlined and summarized as the eight virtues of liangzhi: voidness, intelligence, luminousness, awareness, constancy, happiness, true I, and purity. These eight virtues are, however, ultimately subsumed by the middle, which governs them in common. The middle is the original state and true form of the fundamental essence of liangzhi, which Wang Yangming describes as a transparent mirror and level balance.
The Ming World, ed. by Kenneth M. Swope, 2019
Journal of World Philosophies, 2019
Zhan Ruoshui 湛若水(1466–1560) is a prominent scholar-official and Confucian philosopher of... more Zhan Ruoshui 湛若水(1466–1560) is a prominent scholar-official and Confucian philosopher of Ming China. Likehis contemporaryWang Yangming, he served in several official capacities during the reigns of three mid-Ming emperors, earned a reputation as an important Confucian teacher, gained a substantial following of students, and was critical to the onset of the jiangxue 講學movement of the mid-Ming and the academy building associated with it. He also elaborated a sophisticated Confucian philosophy, leaving behind a corpus of work and a school of thought.In 1517, when he was fifty-one, Zhan Ruoshui left office and retired to MountXiqiao 西樵山in Guangdong, where he constructed both a hermitage for his family and an academy for his students. He remained there for four years until he was recommended for reappointment to office in 1521. These years were critical not only for his havingestablished his first academy and writing the regulations for operating it but also because he produced a substantial volume of philosophical writings that were foundational to hisbecoming recognizedas aConfucian master and establishing his school of thought. This study provides an overview of the biographical and historical setting, Zhan’s pedagogy (xue 學), and his philosophy at a time when this lesser-known Ming Confucian passed through a crucial stage in the development of his Way (dao 道).
Monumenta Serica, 2018
The Ming dynasty Confucian philosopher Wang Yangming (1472–1529) has been
the subject of a Europe... more The Ming dynasty Confucian philosopher Wang Yangming (1472–1529) has been
the subject of a European and North American literature since at least the 18th
century. But the rich history of writing about him in the West has been largely
obscured by an English-language scholarship published in the 1960s and 1970s.
This earlier literature nevertheless provides one window into the broader history
of intellectual encounter between China and the West, shedding light on it from
the angle of the discovery of one of late imperial China’s most influential scholarofficials.
This article’s goal is to provide a history of writing about Wang Yangming
in Europe and North America from the 17th century to 1950, demonstrating both
how historical circumstances shaped his reception and interpretation, and that these
earlier accounts shared valuable insights yet worthy of our attention today
After being recalled to Beijing in 1510 for evaluation and reassignment in the wake of his two-ye... more After being recalled to Beijing in 1510 for evaluation and reassignment in the wake of his two-year exile to Guizhou and his period of service as a magistrate, Wang Yangming was assigned to a succession of posts at the capital that kept him there through 1512. During that short time, he remained disillusioned with the Ming court and high politics and chose to put his energies into fostering a philosophical movement. He believed that by restoring the " way of master-disciple relations and friendship, " he could help propagate the learning of the sages. To that end, he held jiangxue gatherings with colleagues and friends and carried on an active correspondence. In those venues, Wang Yangming engaged others with his ideas about the goal of sagehood, the obstacles to attaining it, and the methods for overcoming those obstacles. The following article reconstructs this critical period in Wang Yangming's philosophical development and the intellectual movement he sought to foster, as well as the status of his philosophy as of this point in time.
This article is a study of the Ming philosopher Wang Yangming's handling of a rebellion by non-Ha... more This article is a study of the Ming philosopher Wang Yangming's handling of a rebellion by non-Han ethnic groups in the province of Guangxi in 1527. As opposed to the previous supreme commander, Wang chose not to use force to quell the uprising but rather advocated a policy of accommodation, resulting in a temporary peace. Both supreme commanders' strategies are analyzed in terms of their differing social imaginaries and moral frameworks. By so doing, light is shed on a spectrum of strategic culture in Ming China and how Wang Yangming positioned himself within it, as well as how his conception of a moral and political order of society infl uenced his policies.
Late Imperial China, 2008
Conference Presentations by George L Israel
Drafts by George L Israel
Draft Translation of Lu Cheng's Records in the Chuan Xi Lu of Wang Yangming。 Criticisms and advic... more Draft Translation of Lu Cheng's Records in the Chuan Xi Lu of Wang Yangming。 Criticisms and advice welcome.
Chinese Philosophy and Its Thinkers, 2024
Draft Chapters for Chinese Philosophy and Its Thinkers: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (fo... more Draft Chapters for Chinese Philosophy and Its Thinkers: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (forthcoming 2024)
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Papers by George L Israel
the subject of a European and North American literature since at least the 18th
century. But the rich history of writing about him in the West has been largely
obscured by an English-language scholarship published in the 1960s and 1970s.
This earlier literature nevertheless provides one window into the broader history
of intellectual encounter between China and the West, shedding light on it from
the angle of the discovery of one of late imperial China’s most influential scholarofficials.
This article’s goal is to provide a history of writing about Wang Yangming
in Europe and North America from the 17th century to 1950, demonstrating both
how historical circumstances shaped his reception and interpretation, and that these
earlier accounts shared valuable insights yet worthy of our attention today
Conference Presentations by George L Israel
Drafts by George L Israel
the subject of a European and North American literature since at least the 18th
century. But the rich history of writing about him in the West has been largely
obscured by an English-language scholarship published in the 1960s and 1970s.
This earlier literature nevertheless provides one window into the broader history
of intellectual encounter between China and the West, shedding light on it from
the angle of the discovery of one of late imperial China’s most influential scholarofficials.
This article’s goal is to provide a history of writing about Wang Yangming
in Europe and North America from the 17th century to 1950, demonstrating both
how historical circumstances shaped his reception and interpretation, and that these
earlier accounts shared valuable insights yet worthy of our attention today
https://philpapers.org/rec/ISRSWY-4
https://www.amazon.com/Studying-Wang-Yangming-History-Sinological/dp/B09R3LX8P7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D8Z5SXJ9T1M9&keywords=studying+wang+yangming&qid=1688700949&sprefix=studying+wang+yangming%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1