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)
dc.contributor.advisor
Gentz, Joachim
dc.contributor.advisor
Ward, Julian
dc.contributor.author
Lan, Xing
dc.date.accessioned
2024-01-23T14:02:39Z
dc.date.available
2024-01-23T14:02:39Z
dc.date.issued
2024-01-23
dc.description.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.
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dc.identifier.uri
https://hdl.handle.net/1842/41374
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/era/4108
dc.language.iso
en
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dc.publisher
The University of Edinburgh
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dc.relation.hasversion
Lan, Xing. “No Fear from Heaven: How Song Confucian Classicists Discredited the Omenology of the Five Phases.” Signs & Media 2, no. 1-2 (2023): 71-87.
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dc.subject
Confucian learning
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dc.subject
five phases in Confucian learning
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dc.subject
Emperor Wu (141-87BC)
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dc.subject
end of the Eastern Han (AD220)
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dc.subject
concept of the Five Phases
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dc.subject
Wuji
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dc.subject
Tsinghua bamboo slips
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dc.subject
Yanzhao
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dc.subject
Huxishan
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dc.subject
development of the Five Phases
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dc.subject
plenitude
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dc.subject
systematisation
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dc.subject
authority
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dc.subject
influence of the Five Phases
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dc.title
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)
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dc.type
Thesis or Dissertation
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dc.type.qualificationlevel
Doctoral
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dc.type.qualificationname
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
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