A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”

Li Yang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”

Li Yang

Published in Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 9, Issue 4)

Received: 1 July 2021 Accepted: 9 July 2021 Published: 4 August 2021

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Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars put forward the idea of Chinese artifacts from different perspectives in order to overturn the prejudice against "artifacts" in traditional Chinese philosophy. In particular, they considered the normative role of artifacts for public literacy. Recent scholarly research shows that contemporary scholars are increasingly inclined to use Chinese artifactological ideas to explain ancient Chinese concepts and beliefs about artifacts. In fact, however, this idea of artifact design and production can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The scholars of the Song Dynasty interpreted the contents of the I Ching about "ware" from a new perspective, legitimizing the study of "ware" and forming the original Chinese idea of artifact theory, which was widely applied to various disciplines in the Qing Dynasty. In this essay, I explore the changing conceptions of ‘object’ and ‘emblem’ through the Song, through differentiation and analysis of the differing contexts in which the phrase ‘zhi qi shang xiang’ occurs. Through close readings of the context in which it appears in Song official histories, incidental writings (biji) and essay collections, I am able to tease out the concrete significance of the phrase, allowing us to analyse it transformations over time. I start with analysis of the original source of the phrase to seek its earliest connotations as a basis on which to distinguish and classify the later, alternative readings it gains. Subsequently, I move into an analysis of Chen Xiliang’s Zhi qi shang xiang lun and the debate it generated to explore the Song transformations of the meaning of the phrase and the reasons for the semantic shift which occurred during this period. From this, I determine that between the Northern Song to the Southern song there was a shift in the approach to tools, from uncertainty to a definite affirmation of their importance and aesthetic value.

Published in	Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 9, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
Page(s)	97-105
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Zhi Qi Shang Xiang, Song, Emblems, Object Theory

References

[1]	Xici II, Yijing, trans. James Legge.(2020) Accessed via the Chinese Text Project, https://ctext.org/book-of-changes/xi-ci-shang.
[2]	[Wei] Wang Bi.（1982）The Commentary on the Zhou Yi, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu, book 0007, page 0306a
[3]	[Wei] Wang Bi. (1982) The Commentary on the Zhou Yi, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu, book 0007, page 0538d.
[4]	Xi ci II, trans. James Legge.(2020) Accessed through the Chinese Text Project, https://ctext.org/text.pl?node=46990&if=en.
[5]	(Wei), Wang Bi.(1982) Zhouyi zhushu, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu Vol. 0007, 0593b; 0600a.
[6]	Fubi (February 13, 1004-August 8, 1083), character Yanguo. He was a native of Luoyang. He was a famous minister and literary scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty.
[7]	Chen Xiliang (1044-1077), style name Gongbi, resident in Qingshen, Meizhou (contemporary Sichuan); ancestral home in Jingzhao (contemporary Xi’an).
[8]	Chen Bi, 13.02.1004 – 8.8.1083), style name Yanguo, from Luoyang. A well-known Northern Song minister and literature scholar.
[9]	(Song) Su Shi.(1982) Dongpo Quanji i. Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu Vol. 1107, 0538a.
[10]	The Li Ji who authored this essay should not be confused with either the Li Ji involved in the Northern Song era Crow Terrace Poetry Case, nor the disciple of Zhu Xi also named Li Ji.
[11]	(Song) Li Ji, Yong yi xiangjie.(1982) Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu Vol. 0019, 0351a.
[12]	(Song). Dong Kai,. (1982) Zhouyi zhuanyi fulu in Siku quanshu, Taipei, Taiwan shangwu yinshuguan yingyin wenyuan ge, Vol. 20, 448d.
[13]	Elanor (2015). The Anxiety of Beauty: Aesthetic Thought and Pursuit of the Northern Song Scholar (Du Firan and Liu Peng p. 8).
[14]	[Song] Zhai Jienian:. (1982) The History of the Pre-Han Period, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopied in Wenyuange, Siku Quanshu, book 0681, p. 0437c.
[15]	(Song). Zhai Ruwen. (1982) Zhonghui ji in Siku Quanshu, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu Vol. 1129, 313d.
[16]	Original (Zhou) Zuo Qiuming. (1982) Chunqiu Zuozhuan zhushu in Siku quanshu, Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press photocopy of Wen Yuan Ge's Si Ku Quan Shu. Vol 0143, 0466b. Translation adapted from Goldin, Paul. (2016) “The Legacy of Bronzes and Bronze Inscriptions in Early Chinese Literature”, in A Sourcebook of Ancient Chinese Bronze Inscriptions edited by Constance Cook and Paul Goldin.
[17]	[Song] Wang Zheng, Dongdu Shishu. (1982) Taipei: Taiwan Commercial Press Photocopy of Wenyuange Siku Quanshu, vol. 0382, p. 0085d.
[18]	[Song] Ouyang Xiu. (2001) Tang Xianzong shenci ji, Postscript to the Jigu lu. Vol 7 in Ouyang Xiu Quan ji, 2246.
[19]	Ronald Egan, (2015) The Problem of Beauty. shanghai: shanghai guji chu ban she. pg 8.
[20]	(Song) Zhai Qinian.(1982) Zhou shi in Siku quanshu, Taipei, Taiwan shangwu yinshuguan yingyin wenyuan ge. Vol. 0681, p. 0437c.
[21]	Lü Dalin, Kaogutu, vol. 1. Page number and publishing information missing
[22]	(Song), Zhai Qinian.(1982) Zhoushi in Siku Quanshu. Taipei, Taiwan shangwu yinshuguan yingyin wenyuan ge. Vol. 0681, 0435.
[23]	Son of Cai Jing, birth and death dates unknown. Tiewei shan cong tan was written whilst he was in exile in Baizhou and records events of interest from the Northern Song.

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Li Yang. (2021). A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanities and Social Sciences, 9(4), 97-105. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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Li Yang. A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2021, 9(4), 97-105. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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AMA Style

Li Yang. A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanit Soc Sci. 2021;9(4):97-105. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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@article{10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14,
  author = {Li Yang},
  title = {A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”},
  journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
  volume = {9},
  number = {4},
  pages = {97-105},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20210904.14},
  abstract = {At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars put forward the idea of Chinese artifacts from different perspectives in order to overturn the prejudice against "artifacts" in traditional Chinese philosophy. In particular, they considered the normative role of artifacts for public literacy. Recent scholarly research shows that contemporary scholars are increasingly inclined to use Chinese artifactological ideas to explain ancient Chinese concepts and beliefs about artifacts. In fact, however, this idea of artifact design and production can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The scholars of the Song Dynasty interpreted the contents of the I Ching about "ware" from a new perspective, legitimizing the study of "ware" and forming the original Chinese idea of artifact theory, which was widely applied to various disciplines in the Qing Dynasty. In this essay, I explore the changing conceptions of ‘object’ and ‘emblem’ through the Song, through differentiation and analysis of the differing contexts in which the phrase ‘zhi qi shang xiang’ occurs. Through close readings of the context in which it appears in Song official histories, incidental writings (biji) and essay collections, I am able to tease out the concrete significance of the phrase, allowing us to analyse it transformations over time. I start with analysis of the original source of the phrase to seek its earliest connotations as a basis on which to distinguish and classify the later, alternative readings it gains. Subsequently, I move into an analysis of Chen Xiliang’s Zhi qi shang xiang lun and the debate it generated to explore the Song transformations of the meaning of the phrase and the reasons for the semantic shift which occurred during this period. From this, I determine that between the Northern Song to the Southern song there was a shift in the approach to tools, from uncertainty to a definite affirmation of their importance and aesthetic value.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”
AU  - Li Yang
Y1  - 2021/08/04
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
T2  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JF  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JO  - Humanities and Social Sciences
SP  - 97
EP  - 105
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8184
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
AB  - At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars put forward the idea of Chinese artifacts from different perspectives in order to overturn the prejudice against "artifacts" in traditional Chinese philosophy. In particular, they considered the normative role of artifacts for public literacy. Recent scholarly research shows that contemporary scholars are increasingly inclined to use Chinese artifactological ideas to explain ancient Chinese concepts and beliefs about artifacts. In fact, however, this idea of artifact design and production can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The scholars of the Song Dynasty interpreted the contents of the I Ching about "ware" from a new perspective, legitimizing the study of "ware" and forming the original Chinese idea of artifact theory, which was widely applied to various disciplines in the Qing Dynasty. In this essay, I explore the changing conceptions of ‘object’ and ‘emblem’ through the Song, through differentiation and analysis of the differing contexts in which the phrase ‘zhi qi shang xiang’ occurs. Through close readings of the context in which it appears in Song official histories, incidental writings (biji) and essay collections, I am able to tease out the concrete significance of the phrase, allowing us to analyse it transformations over time. I start with analysis of the original source of the phrase to seek its earliest connotations as a basis on which to distinguish and classify the later, alternative readings it gains. Subsequently, I move into an analysis of Chen Xiliang’s Zhi qi shang xiang lun and the debate it generated to explore the Song transformations of the meaning of the phrase and the reasons for the semantic shift which occurred during this period. From this, I determine that between the Northern Song to the Southern song there was a shift in the approach to tools, from uncertainty to a definite affirmation of their importance and aesthetic value.
VL  - 9
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Li Yang

Cultural Communication and Design, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics Dongfang College, Jiaxing, China

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Li Yang. (2021). A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanities and Social Sciences, 9(4), 97-105. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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ACS Style

Li Yang. A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2021, 9(4), 97-105. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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AMA Style

Li Yang. A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”. Humanit Soc Sci. 2021;9(4):97-105. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14

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@article{10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14,
  author = {Li Yang},
  title = {A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”},
  journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
  volume = {9},
  number = {4},
  pages = {97-105},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20210904.14},
  abstract = {At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars put forward the idea of Chinese artifacts from different perspectives in order to overturn the prejudice against "artifacts" in traditional Chinese philosophy. In particular, they considered the normative role of artifacts for public literacy. Recent scholarly research shows that contemporary scholars are increasingly inclined to use Chinese artifactological ideas to explain ancient Chinese concepts and beliefs about artifacts. In fact, however, this idea of artifact design and production can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The scholars of the Song Dynasty interpreted the contents of the I Ching about "ware" from a new perspective, legitimizing the study of "ware" and forming the original Chinese idea of artifact theory, which was widely applied to various disciplines in the Qing Dynasty. In this essay, I explore the changing conceptions of ‘object’ and ‘emblem’ through the Song, through differentiation and analysis of the differing contexts in which the phrase ‘zhi qi shang xiang’ occurs. Through close readings of the context in which it appears in Song official histories, incidental writings (biji) and essay collections, I am able to tease out the concrete significance of the phrase, allowing us to analyse it transformations over time. I start with analysis of the original source of the phrase to seek its earliest connotations as a basis on which to distinguish and classify the later, alternative readings it gains. Subsequently, I move into an analysis of Chen Xiliang’s Zhi qi shang xiang lun and the debate it generated to explore the Song transformations of the meaning of the phrase and the reasons for the semantic shift which occurred during this period. From this, I determine that between the Northern Song to the Southern song there was a shift in the approach to tools, from uncertainty to a definite affirmation of their importance and aesthetic value.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Theory of Objects: Transformations in Northern Song Conceptions of “Emblematic Forms in the Construction of Tools”
AU  - Li Yang
Y1  - 2021/08/04
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
T2  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JF  - Humanities and Social Sciences
JO  - Humanities and Social Sciences
SP  - 97
EP  - 105
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8184
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210904.14
AB  - At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars put forward the idea of Chinese artifacts from different perspectives in order to overturn the prejudice against "artifacts" in traditional Chinese philosophy. In particular, they considered the normative role of artifacts for public literacy. Recent scholarly research shows that contemporary scholars are increasingly inclined to use Chinese artifactological ideas to explain ancient Chinese concepts and beliefs about artifacts. In fact, however, this idea of artifact design and production can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The scholars of the Song Dynasty interpreted the contents of the I Ching about "ware" from a new perspective, legitimizing the study of "ware" and forming the original Chinese idea of artifact theory, which was widely applied to various disciplines in the Qing Dynasty. In this essay, I explore the changing conceptions of ‘object’ and ‘emblem’ through the Song, through differentiation and analysis of the differing contexts in which the phrase ‘zhi qi shang xiang’ occurs. Through close readings of the context in which it appears in Song official histories, incidental writings (biji) and essay collections, I am able to tease out the concrete significance of the phrase, allowing us to analyse it transformations over time. I start with analysis of the original source of the phrase to seek its earliest connotations as a basis on which to distinguish and classify the later, alternative readings it gains. Subsequently, I move into an analysis of Chen Xiliang’s Zhi qi shang xiang lun and the debate it generated to explore the Song transformations of the meaning of the phrase and the reasons for the semantic shift which occurred during this period. From this, I determine that between the Northern Song to the Southern song there was a shift in the approach to tools, from uncertainty to a definite affirmation of their importance and aesthetic value.
VL  - 9
IS  - 4
ER  -

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