The Idea of “Upright Writing (zhíbǐ, 直筆)” in Joseon Historiography

Abstract

“ Upright Writing (zhíb ǐ 直筆 or zhísh ū 直書 ) ” has been referred to as a normative principle for writing history in East Asia. Above all, “ upright writing ” has guided the compilation of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty ( 朝鮮王祖實錄 ) . This paper attempts to understand the principle of “ upright writing ” as perceived by the Joseon people. In Joseon, there were two different understandings of “ upright writing. ” One was to write down the most right judgment of the reality without any concealment, which resembled the classical Chinese understanding. The other was to write down the facts not allowing any jurisdiction of a historian, which resembled the understanding of Zhuxi ( 朱熹 ) . These two understandings have competed and collaborated in the political context of Joseon. In the process, they served the political interests of diverse agents and provided a political mechanism for deciding right and wrong. Taking such a historical approach to the principle of “ upright writing ” will allow us to fully savor some critical layers of meaning of the Veritable Records , which has not yet been investigated due to an anachronistic understanding of “ upright writing. ” Abstract