Li Zhi’s Oppositional Authentism: An Alternative to the Conceptual Contradictionism

Abstract

The article presents and provides argumentation to the relevancy of definition of Neo-Confucian thinker Li Zhi (1527–1602) philosophical views as “oppositional authentism”, the core feature of which is the perception of genuineness as the highest value. This genuineness is defined through making the opposition of genuine and non-genuine. The research is mostly based on 73 essays from Li Zhi’s opus magnum “A Book to Burn” (Fen-shu) and proved with quotations from such works as «Interpretation of Child-like Heart» (Tong-xin shuo), «Inter­pretation of Diverse [Plays]» (Za-shuo), «Discourse on He Xinyin» (He Xinyin lun), «Preface to the “Analysis of the ‘[Treatise of Teacher] Lao’” by Ziyou» (Ziyou jie-Lao xu), «Discussions on Behalf of Statues of Three Mahasattvas» (San da-shi xiang-yi), «Interpretation of Voidness and Fullness» (Xu-shi shuo). It is noted that Li criticizes as inauthentic both concepts that diverge from reality, and elements of reality that do not correspond to the concepts he shares: which can be seen, in particular, on the example of essays «Discourse on Ghosts and Spirits» (Gui-shen lun) and «Interpretation of the Four Don’ts» (Si wu shuo). Also, the article criticizes some statements of prominent contemporary scholars of the field (R. Handler-Spitz, Li Wai-yee), which are connected with the percep­tion of Li Zhi’s views as consciously contradictional, precisely with Li’s attitude to Confucian canons, emotions and feelings and their manifestations in various spheres of life, filial piety and martyrdom. It is suggested that the tendency to as­certain Li Zhi as conceptually contradictory thinker which is frequently seen in contemporary researches can be explained by the insufficient volume of Li’s texts analyzed by scholars, following stereotypical assessments of the past, as well as the desire to exoticize thinker's views or to endow them with importance for the modern world.