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Deng Xi

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Deng Xi (Chinese: 鄧析; Wade–Giles: Têng Hsi, also written as 祁奚; c.546-501 BCE) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and rhetorician who has been called the founding father of the Chinese logical tradition, or School of Names (Xingmingjia). Once a senior official of the Zheng state,[1] and a contemporary of Confucius,[2] he was actually closer to something of a glib lawyer,[3] teaching the people word play in lawsuits.[4] The Zuo Zhuan and Annals of Lü Buwei critically credit Deng with the authorship of a penal code opposing and twisting that of the more Confucian Zichan.[5][6] Arguing over forms and names (xing ming zhi bian), Deng is cited by Liu Xiang as the originator of the "Legalists" and Logicians Xing-Ming principle judging names and realities (ming-shih), likely making him an important contributor to the foundations of Chinese statecraft.

Deng Xi Zi

Professor Zhenbin Sun considers the text bearing Deng's name to reflect his thought, whether it was written by him or not. It recommends that a wise king "follow names and observe actualities, examine laws and establish authority", saying that "positions cannot be surpassed, official titles cannot be used, and officials have their own responsibilities according to their names titles. The superior follows the names and inspects if they correspond to actuality, the subordinate carries the orders and puts them into practice."[7]

Along more logical lines comparable to Mozi, Deng advocates "distinguishing different categories so that they may not hinder each other, and to organize different bases so that they may not disturb each other."[8]

Biography

Developing his debating skills in the legal courts of the state of Zheng, Deng served as a minor official there. Depicted as taking both sides of his cases, he is said to have argued for the permissibility of contradictory propositions, likely engaging in hair-splitting debates on the interpretation of laws, legal principles and definitions.[9] The Annal's of Lu Buwei introduce him as a man who could "argue a right to be wrong and a wrong to be right, (for whome) right and wrong had no fixed standard, and 'yea' and nay' changed every day.... What he wished to win always won, and whom he desired to punish was always punished."[10]

His consultation attracted many clients seeking legal advice, and apparently charging for cases in articles of clothing (sensible for 500 BCE) he would eventually have enough to count him rich.[11] The discussion in the Xunzi pairs him with Hui Shi so that it is difficult to separate their contributions. An example of his sophistry:

The Wei River was extremely high. A person from the house of a rich man of Zheng drowned. Someone found the body. The rich man asked to buy it back. The man demanded very much money. The rich man told Deng Xi about it. Deng Xi said, “Calm down. There's certainly no one else he can sell the body to.” The man who found the body was troubled by this and told Deng Xi about it. Deng Xi replied to him by saying, “Calm down. There's certainly nowhere else they can buy the body.”[12][13][14]

Despite this portrayal, more modern scholars consider that, having taken the time to write his own penal code, Deng may have been a well-intentioned legal reformer opposing what he saw as the suppression of ideas and opinions. Nit-picking the law to defy Zichan's attempts to stop the publication of posters, Professors Xing Lu and Zhenbin Sun consider Deng to have challenged Confucian Li in favour of litigation and a free exchange, favoring what is termed "big" or communal arguments over petty ones as better resolving issues.[15]

The Annals record that Zichan eventually executed him after Zheng fell into disorder.[16]

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Zhenbin Sun 2015. p.15-16. Language, Discourse, and Praxis in Ancient China. https://books.google.com/books?id=MLx_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16
  2. ^ Peng He 2014. p.67. Chinese Lawmaking: From Non-communicative to Communicative. https://books.google.com/books?id=MXDABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85
  3. ^ Bryan W. Van Norden 2011. p.102. Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. https://books.google.com/books?id=TtK5750bm30C&pg=PA102
  4. ^ Zhenbin Sun 2015. p.15. Language, Discourse, and Praxis in Ancient China. https://books.google.com/books?id=MLx_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15
  5. ^ Harbsmeier 1998, p. 289
  6. ^ Fraser, Chris, "School of Names", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2017/entries/school-names/
  7. ^ Xing Lu. 1998. p.134. Rhetoric in Ancient China, Fifth to Third Century, B.C.E. https://books.google.com/books?id=72QURrAppzkC&pg=PA134
  8. ^ Zhenbin Sun 2015. p.113. Language, Discourse, and Praxis in Ancient China. https://books.google.com/books?id=MLx_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA113
  9. ^ Antonio S. Cua 2003 p.492. Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy. https://books.google.com/books?id=yTv_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA492
  10. ^ Zhenbin Sun 2015. p.15. Language, Discourse, and Praxis in Ancient China. https://books.google.com/books?id=MLx_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15
  11. ^ Xing Lu. 1998. p.131. Rhetoric in Ancient China, Fifth to Third Century, B.C.E. https://books.google.com/books?id=72QURrAppzkC&pg=PA131
  12. ^ Deng Xi’s Exploits, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, retrieved 2011-04-02
  13. ^ Lü Shi Chun Qiu: Li Wei (Chinese), Chinese Text Project
  14. ^ Bryan W. Van Norden 2011. p.102. Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. https://books.google.com/books?id=TtK5750bm30C&pg=PA102
  15. ^ Xing Lu. 1998. p.130-132. Rhetoric in Ancient China, Fifth to Third Century, B.C.E. https://books.google.com/books?id=72QURrAppzkC&pg=PA131
  16. ^ Fraser, Chris, "School of Names", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2017/entries/school-names/
Sources
  • Harbsmeier, Christoph (1998), Kenneth Robinson (ed.), Language and Logic, Joseph Needham: Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 7 Pt 1, Cambridge University Press
  • School of Names, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, retrieved 2011-04-02
  • Спирин В. С. "Дэн Си-цзы" как логико-гносеологическое произведение: перевод и исследование / В.С. Спирин; сост. А.И. Кобзев.- 325 с. - ISBN 978-5-02-036573-5


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