Law and Morality in Ancient China: The Silk Manuscripts of Huang-Lao

398 Pages·1993·7.585 MB·English

by  R. P. Peerenboom

Law and Morality
in Ancient China
R. P. Peerenboom
L a w a n d ^ A o ra lity
in
A n c i e n t C h i n a
SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
David L. Hall and Roger T. Ames, editors
L a w and ^ A o ^ a lity
i n
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The Silk Manuscripts
of
Huang-Lao
R. P. PEERENBOOM
State University of New York Press
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 1993 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced
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Production by Marilyn P. Semerad
Marketing by Theresa A. Swierzowski
Library of Congress Catak>ging-in-Publicatk>n Data
Peerenboom, R. P. (Randall P.). 1958-
Law and morality in ancient China: the silk manuscripts of Huang·
Lao / R. P. Peerenboom.
p. cm.—(SUNY series in Chinese philosophy and culture)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-1237-7. —ISBN 0-7914-1238-5 (pbk.)
1. Huang Lao po shu. 2. Philosophy, Chinese—To221b.c. 3. Law
(Philosophy)—Early works to 1800. 4. Taoism—China—Early works to
1800. I. Huang Lao po shu. 1993. II. Title. III. Series.
B126.P38 1993
18Γ.11—dc20 91-47541
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Calla

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*
Preface xi
Acknowledgments XV
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1
1. The Silk Manuscripts of Huang-Lao X
1.1 Text 6
1.2 Title 7
1.3 Authorship 9
1.4 Dating 12
2. Methodology 19
2.1 Philosophy of Law: A Hermeneutical
Framework 20
CHAPTER II THE NATURAL WAY OF HUANG-LAO 27
1. Foundational Naturalism 27
1.1 Huang-Lao Naturalism 28
1.2 Huang-Lao Foundationalism 31
2. The Nature of Nature 41
2.1 Nature as Impersonal 42
2.2 Nature as Constant 43
2.3 Nature as Rule Governed 43
3. The Place of Humans Within the Natural
Order 51
3.1 Dao 51
3.2 Xing Ming: Forms and Names 55
3.3 Li: Principle 61
3.4 Fa: Law 61
VII
Law and Morality in .Ancient (SKina
4. Following the Way 62
4.1 Naturalist Foundations of Social
Institutions 62
4.2 Metaphors of Compliance 64
4.3 Huang-Lao Epistemology 70
CHAPTER HI THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
PHILOSOPHY OF HUANG-LAO 75
1. Huang-Lao Natural Law Jurisprudence 76
1.1 Rule of Law 76
1.2 Rule of Natural Law 79
2. The Huang-Lao State 84
2.1 Yellow Emperor as Symbol 84
2.2 Centralized Feudal Bureaucracy 92
2.3 Government for the People 98
CHAPTER IV THE ANTHROPOCENTRIC PRAGMATISM
OF CONFUCIUS 103
1. General Character of Confucius’s Philosophy 105
1.1 Pragmatic Coherence versus Foundational
Correspondence 105
1.2 Pragmatic Coherence and the Logical-
Aesthetic Distinction 113
2. Confucius’s Social and Political Philosophy 118
2.1 Jurisprudence 118
2.2 Politics of Harmony 126
2.3 A Huang-Lao Critique 133
CHAPTER V THE PRAGMATIC STATESMANSHIP OF
HANFEI 139
1. Han Fei’s Legal Positivism 140
1.1 Rule by Law 140
1.2 Rule by Positive Law 142
2. Han Fei’s Pragmatic Arts of Rulership 153
2.1 The Practical Way of Han Fei 154
2.2 Han Fei’s Legalist State 161
VIII
Contents
CHAPTER VI THE DAOIST WAYS OF LAO ZI AND
ZHUANG ZI 171
1. Lao Zi’s Way 172
1.1 Zhi as Discovery 177
1.2 Dao as Emergent Order 191
2. Zhuang Zi’s Way 197
2.1 Zhi Dao: Realizing an Emergent
Order 197
2.2 Zhuang Zi’s Politics of Harmony 20S
CHAPTER VH THE EVOLUTION OF HUANG-LAO
THOUGHT 217
1. Antecedents 218
1.1 Emergence of Naturalism 218
1.2 Jixia Academy 224
2. Ascendence in the Early Han 242
2.1 Huang-Lao: A Response to the
Times 242
2.2 Huang-Lao Policies and Early Han
Politics 244
3. The Fall from Power 249
3.1 Court Intrigue 249
3.2 Explaining the Fall 251
4. D6nouement 256
4.1 Huang-Lao and Religious Daoism 256
4.2 Naturalism and Immortality 257
CHAPTER VIII EPILOGUE 263
1. Huang-Lao and Contemporary Philosophy 265
2. Huang-Lao and Contemporary Jurisprudence in
the PRC 266
APPENDIX: HE GUAN ZI AND HUANG-LAO THOUGHT 273
Notes 285
Bibliography 355
Index 375
IX