Table des matières
Volume II, 1911 : Part II, Miscellaneous essays

A. Metaphysical.

1.  Coincidences. Ou-hui. Bk. III, Chap. I.

Fate acts spontaneously. There are no other alien forces at work besides fate. Nobody is able to do anything against it. Human activity is of no consequence.

2.  Periods of Government. Chih-ch‘i. Bk. XVII, Chap. III.

The praise of antiquity, its high virtue and happiness is unfounded. There is nothing but fate. Human activity is powerless.

3.  Sympathetic Emotions. Kan-lei. Bk. XVIII, Chap. II.

Natural calamities and unlucky events are not the upshot of human guilt, as a thunderstorm is not a manifestation of Heaven’s anger.

B. Ethical.

4. Success and Luck. Feng-yü. Bk. I, Chap. I.

This chapter treats of the relation between officers and the sovereign. To be appreciated and successful an official must find the right prince, who understands him and puts him in the right place. One must not make the successful responsible for the success, or the unsuccessful for their failure, because not their talents, but time and circumstances are decisive.

5. Annoyances and Vexations. Lei-hai. Bk. I, Chap. II.

The difficulties and annoyances which people have to endure come from abroad, and are not the result of their own works. Therefore they must not be blamed. Fear and good conduct have influence on fortune or misfortune.

« Fortune is what we obtain without any effort of our own, and misfortune what happens to us without our co-operation.

The chief annoyances of officials at the court and in the provinces are slanderous reports of envious persons. Three kinds of calumnies are distinguished. The wise do not feel troubled about this, and lead the life which most suits them.

6. On the Cunning and Artful. Ta-ning. Bk. XI, Chap. III.

7.  Weighing of Talents. Ch‘êng-ts‘ai. Bk. XII, Chap. I.

The difference between scholars and officials is pointed out. Wang Ch‘ung stands up for the former, and places them higher than the officials, because they are of greater importance to the State. The people however think more of the officials.

8. The Valuation of Knowledge. Liang-chih. Bk. XII, Chap. II.

The same subject as treated in the preceding chapter.

9. Admitting Shortcomings. Hsieh-tuan. Bk. XII, Chap. III.

Men of letters as well as officials have their shortcomings. The former are interested in antiquity only, and neglect the present, the Ch‘in and Han time. They only know the Classics, but even many questions concerning the age and the origin of the Classics they cannot answer. The officials know their business, but often cannot say, why they do a thing, since they do not possess the necessary historical knowledge.

10. The Display of Energy. Hsiao-li. Bk. XIII, Chap. I.

The chapter treats of the faculties of the scholars and the officials, and of their energy and perseverance displayed in different departments.

11. On Intelligence. Pieh-t‘ung. Bk. XIII, Chap. II.

There is the same difference between the learned and the uncultivated as between the rich and the poor. Learning is a power and more important than wealth.

12. Apparent Backwardness. Chuang-liu. Bk. XIV, Chap. I.

Scholars do not strive for office. As for practical success they are outrivalled by the officials, who are men of business.

13. The Real Nature of Knowledge. Shih-chih. Bk. XXVI, Chap. I.

Saints and Sages are credited with an extraordinary knowledge. They need not learn or study, for they are cognisant of everything intuitively, and know the past as well as the future. This is a fallacy. There are no supernatural faculties, and even those of the Sages follow the natural laws.

14. A Definition of Worthies. Ting-hsien. Bk. XXVII, Chap. I.

The nature of the Worthies is defined. Examples are adduced of what they are not. No exceptional talents are required, but a certain amount of intelligence and honesty. Worthies belong to the same class as Saints or Sages, but are somewhat inferior.

C. Critique.

15. Fictitious Phenomena. Pien-hsü. Bk. IV, Chap. II.   

Wang Ch‘ung points out that many reports in ancient literature concerning extraordinary phenomena, not in harmony with the laws of nature, are fictitious and unreliable, e. g. the story that touched by the virtue of Duke Ching of Sung, the planet Mars shifted its place, that Heaven rewarded the Duke with 21 extra years, or that the great Diviner of Ch‘i caused an earthquake.

16. Fictitious Prodigies. Yi-hsü. Bk. V, Chap. I.

The impossibility of some miracles and supernatural events is demonstrated, which have been handed down in ancient works, and are universally believed by the people and the literati, e. g. the birth of Pao Sse from the saliva of dragons.

17. Fictitious Influences. Kan-hsü. Bk. V, Chap. II.

Wang Ch‘ung contests that nature can be moved by man and deviate from its course. Various old legends are critically tested : the alleged appearance of ten suns in Yao’s time, the report that the sun went back in his course, the wonders which happened during the captivity of Tsou Yen and Tan, Prince of Yen.

The tenor of the last four chapters all treating of unfounded assertions or figments ‘Hsü’ is very similar.

18. Praise of the Han Dynasty. Hsüan Han. Bk. XIX, Chap. I.

The scholars hold that in olden days there has been a Golden Age, which is passed and does not come back owing to the badness of the times. Wang Ch‘ung stands up for his own time, the Han epoch. He enumerates the lucky portents observed under the Han emperors, and refers to the great achievements of the Han dynasty in the way of colonising and civilising savage countries.

19. Further Remarks on the State. Hui-kuo. Bk. XIX, Chap. II.

Wang Ch‘ung gives to the Han dynasty the preference over all the others, and again discourses on the lucky auguries marking its reign.

20. Ominous Signs Investigated. Yen-fu. Bk. XIX, Chap. III.

The discovery of gold under the Han dynasty, and of purple boletus, the sweet-dew-fall in several districts, and the arrival of dragons and phœnixes are put forward as so many proofs of the excellence of the Han dynasty.

21. Necessity of Eulogies. Hsü-sung. Bk. XX, Chap. I.

This chapter is a variation of the two preceding.

22. On Literary Work. Shu-chieh. Bk. XXVIII, Chap. II.

The chapter deals with learning and erudition, with literary composition, and with the various kinds of men of letters.

23. Falsehoods in Books. Shu-hsü. Bk. IV, Chap. I.

The chapter contains a refutation of a series of wrong statements in ancient books. The assertion that Shun and Yü died in the South is shown to be erroneous. Wang Ch‘ung explodes the idea that the ‘Bore’ at Hang-chou is caused by the angry spirit of Wu Tse Hsü, who was thrown into the Ch‘ien-t‘ang River, and remarks that the tide follows the phases of the moon. (Bk. IV, p. 5v.)

24. Literary Exaggerations. Yi-tsêng. Bk. VIII, Chap. II.

People are fond of the marvellous and of exaggerations, in witness whereof passages are quoted from the Shuking, the Shiking, the Yiking, the Lun-yü, and the Ch‘un-ch‘iu.

25. Lost Texts. Yi-wên. Bk. XX, Chap. II.

The subject of this treatise is purely literary. It discusses the discovery of the Classics in the house of Confucius, the Burning of the Books under Ch‘in Shih Huang Ti and the literature of the Han epoch, of which several authors are mentioned.

26. The Knowledge of Truth. Chih-shih. Bk. XXVI, Chap. II.

Confucius was not prescient and not a prophet, as has been asserted. 16 examples are given, all showing his inability to foreknow the future.

27. On Preeminence. Ch‘ao-chi. Bk. XIII, Chap. III.

There are various degrees of learning. Some remarks are made on the works of several scholars, e. g. the philosopher Yang Tse Yün and the two historians Pan.

D. Folklore and Religion.

28. Thoughts on Omens. Chih-jui. Bk XVII, Chap. I.

The discussion on the phœnix and the unicorn is continued. Wang Ch‘ung impugns the opinion that these animals are not born in China, but come from abroad, when there is a wise emperor. They grow in China, even, when there is no sage.

29. Auguries Verified. Shih-ying. Bk. XVII, Chap. I.

This chapter treats of the various lucky omens of the Golden Age : the purple boletus, the wine springs, the sweet dew, the Ching star, the monthly plant, the phœnix, the unicorn, and of some other fabulous animals.

30. On the Rain Sacrifice. Ming-yü. Bk. XV, Chap. III.

The rain sacrifice, which during the Ch‘un-ch‘iu period was performed at times of drought, ^’forms the subject of this essay. People use to pray for rain and happiness, as they implore the spirits to avert sickness and other evils. Some believe that rain is caused by the stars, others that it depends on the government of a State, others again that it comes from the mountains. The last opinion is shared by Wang Ch‘ung.

31. Gentle Drums. Shun-ku. Bk. XV, Chap. IV.

The chapter treats of the religions ceremonies performed to inundations, in which the beating of drums is very important.

32. A Last Word on Dragons. Luan-lung. Bk. XVI, Chap. I.

As a means to attract the rain by the sympathetic action of similar fluids Tung Chung Shu had put up a clay dragon. Wang Ch‘ung attempts to demonstrate the efficacy of this procedure by 15 arguments and 4 analogies.

33. The Tiger Trouble. Tsao-hu. Bk. XVI, Chap. II.

Wang Ch‘ung controverts the popular belief that, when men are devoured by tigers, it is the wickedness of secretaries and minor officials which causes these disasters.

34. Remarks on Insects. Shang-ch‘ung. Bk. XVI, Chap. III.

The common belief that the eating of the grain by insects is a consequence of the covetousness of the yamen underlings is shown to be futile.

35. Simplicity of Funerals. Po-tsang. Bk. XXIII, Chap. II.

This chapter is directed against the extravagance in funerals, on the score that the dead have no benefit from it.

36. Four Things to be Avoided. Sse-hui. Bk. XXIII, Chap. III.

There is a popular belief that four things are dangerous and bring misfortune viz. to enlarge a house at the west side, to allow a banished man to ascend a tumulus, the intercourse with women, during the first month after they have given birth to a child, and the rearing of children born in the 1st and the 5th months, who will cause the deaths of their parents. Wang Ch‘ung combats these superstitions.

37. False Charges against Time. Lan-shih. Bk. XXIII, Chap. IV.

Wang Ch‘ung discourses on the common belief that in building one must pay attention to an unpropitious time, which may be warded off by amulets. He further speaks of the spirits of the year, the months, etc.

38. Slandering of Days. Chi-jih. Bk. XXIV, Chap. I.

Some more superstitions concerning unlucky years, months, and days, which must be shunned to avoid misfortunes, are investigated. For many actions the election of a proper time is deemed to be of great importance, e. g. for a funeral, or for commencing a building. Bathing on certain days, women become beautiful ; bathing on others makes their hair turn white. On the day of T‘sang Hsieh’s death, who invented writing, one must not study calligraphy, and on the day of the downfall of the Yin and Hsia dynasties one does not make music.

39. Questions about the Year Star. Nan-sui. Bk. XXIV, Chap. IV.

Wang Ch‘ung impugns the view that by moving one’s residence one may come into collision with the Spirit of the North Point, Nan Sui, which would be disastrous.

40. Criticisms on Certain Theories. Ch‘i-shu. Bk. XXV, Chap. I.

The chapter treats of the precautions which used to be taken in building houses, special attention being paid to the family name, the number of the house, the situation, etc.