Xu Gan (Chinese: 徐幹, pinyin ''Xú Gàn'', 171 – March or April 218?(文义未究，年四十八，建安二十三年春二月遭厉疾，大命陨颓，...) ''Quan Sanguo Wen'', vol.55 (section: "Zhonglun Xu" (preface to the ''Zhonglun'')). The month corresponds to 15 Mar to 12 Apr 218 in the Julian calendar. However, volume 21 of ''Sanguozhi'' indicate that Xu Gan died in 217 (22nd year of the ''Jian'an'' era), along with Chen Lin, Ying Yang (nephew of

Ying Shao Ying Shao (144–204), courtesy name Zhongyuan, was a Chinese politician, writer and historian who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. He was an author of the '' Fengsu Tongyi'', an encyclopedic work about the folk customs and legends that exi ...

) and Liu Zhen ( ��、 ��、 ��、 �� 安��十二年卒。).),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Weichang (偉長), was a Chinese philosopher, poet and official of the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, and one of the " Seven Scholars of Jian'an". He is best known in the West for his discourse on the relationship between the names and actualities, preserved in his treatise ''Zhonglun'' (中論), or "Balanced Discourses".

Life

Born in Ju County, Beihai Commandery (east of present-day Lechang,

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

), Xu Gan developed a reputation for good memory and diligent studies as a youth. Around 189, Xu Gan left his residence in Linzi and went into hiding on the

Jiaodong peninsula The Shandong Peninsula or Jiaodong (tsiaotung) Peninsula is a peninsula in Shandong in eastern China, between the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south. The latter name refers to the east and Jiaozhou. Geography The waters b ...

. Although living in tumultuous times, and seeking at causes of decline, his work's introduction, written from the viewpoint of a reverent disciple, suggests his exile more self-imposed for the sake of Confucianist study than any outcast status, even if some his politics might have been at variance. He seems to have been familiar with the "Legalists", but is not that unusual for his time and advocated that reward and punishment should be consistent rather than extreme, fitting alongside his other "Balanced Discourses." It has been suggested that his writing were directed at

Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...

. After participating in Cao Cao's campaigns, the

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

state that he was appointed magistrate of

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, but did not serve. He did serve as Minister of Works, from 197-208, and literary advisor until 211.John Makeham 1994. p3. Name and Actuality

Literature

*John Makeham, ''Name and Actuality in Early Chinese History''. State University of New York Press, Albany, 1994.

Translations

*''Balanced Discourses: a Bilingual Edition''. English translation by John Makeham; Introductions by Dan Shengyuan and John Makeham. Yale University Press, 2002.

References

171 births 218 deaths 3rd-century Chinese philosophers 3rd-century Chinese poets Han dynasty philosophers Han dynasty poets Philosophers from Shandong Poets from Shandong Seven scholars of Jian'an {{china-bio-stub