From material resources to a model of world order: a conceptual history of the five phases in Confucian learning from the reign of Emperor Wu (141-87BC) to the end of the Eastern Han (AD220)

Abstract

The concept of the Five Phases holds significant importance in Chinese culture and has greatly influenced Chinese thinking. According to William Theodore de Bary, the influence and application of the Five Phases in Chinese culture are extensive and farreaching. Similarly, Endymion Wilkinson argues that the Five Phases permeate all aspects of Chinese life. However, there are certain gaps in the existing studies on the Five Phases: Firstly, some studies have oversimplified the development of the Five Phases, thereby hindering our ability to observe its developmental trajectory. Secondly, many noteworthy sources related to the Five Phases have been understudied or remain unexamined.

This thesis aims to address these gaps by utilizing new sources to examine the development of the Five Phases from the reign of Emperor Wu to the end of the Eastern Han period. Firstly, the thesis will identify and criticise some flawed arguments in previous studies, followed by a re-examination of the development of the Five Phases. Secondly, it will synthesize newly available texts which have been released since 2020, such as the “Wuji” chapter from Tsinghua bamboo slips and the “Yanzhao” chapter from Huxishan, as well as understudied sources like apocryphal texts and commentaries on Confucian classics, in order to provide new and substantial evidence for the development of the Five Phases.

This thesis adopts a model based on three aspects to analyse the development of the Five Phases: plenitude, systematisation, and authority. The dimension of plenitude explores the extent of the influence of the Five Phases. The dimension of systematisation examines the theoretical foundation and correlative system of the Five Phases. Lastly, the dimension of authority investigates the acceptance of the Five Phases within Confucian learning and the intellectual landscape.