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士翼

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Text ID
KR3a0086
Date
1505–1541
Dynasty
明

Shì yì 士翼

Wings for the Scholar by 崔銑 (Cuī Xiàn, zì Zǐzhōng 子鍾, hào Huányě 洹野, 1478–1541, 明)

About the work

A three-juan yǔlù-style notebook by Cuī Xiàn, also called Shù yán 述言. Cuī’s self-preface explains the title: he had retired to Xiàngtái (相臺, Anyáng’s old name) and for ten years held only “the sage’s intent” in his thought and “writings supporting the canon” in his reading; having drawn moral instruction from the texts, he made these notes “to wing the canonical texts” (yǐ fǔ yí diǎn) — hence shì yì (wings for the shì). A Xù shì yì 續士翼 was begun but unfinished at his death. The work contains several distinctive judgments. On general philosophical history: “Discussing principle, the Sòng men reach refinement, but it then proliferates; jiǎng xué with the Sòng men reaches pertinence, but then it falls into emptiness.” On comparative ethics: “Hàn and Táng’s xiǎorén are easy to see; the Sòng’s xiǎorén are hard to know. Hàn and Táng’s jūnzǐ can be trusted; the Sòng’s jūnzǐ must be examined.” Some assessments — like taking Xiāo Hé’s recommendation of Cáo Cān as kèjǐ guīrén (subduing the self and returning to rén), or Lú Huáishèn’s deference to Yáo Chóng as the trait of “a single minister with capacity” — are flagged by the SKQS tíyào as forced.

Tiyao

We respectfully submit that the Shì yì in 3 juan was composed by Cuī Xiàn of the Míng. Xiàn, zì Zǐzhōng, also zì Zhòngfú, hào Huányě, was a man of An-yáng. Jìnshì of Hóngzhì yǐchǒu (1505); rose to Nánjīng Lǐbù yòu shìláng. His career is in the Míng shǐ Rúlín zhuàn. The book is in 3 juan, titled Shù yán; all yǔlù-class. He further composed a Xù shì yì draft, unfinished at his death.

Self-preface to this book: “Living in retirement at Xiàngtái for ten years, fēi shèngrén zhī zhì bù cún, fēi yìjīng zhī wén bù yuè (not the sage’s intent — I do not preserve; not writings winging the classics — I do not read), I have therefore made notes on what I have understood, with slight modification of zhāngjù; named Shì yì as supporting the canon.”

Among them, like the discussion of Gāozōng’s dream of Fù Yuè (Wǔdīng’s reception of Fù Yuè through dream) — touching on the marvellous — and Hánzǐ’s Yuán dào — which says “is what nourishes prior to the èrshì (Buddhist-Daoist) followers’ increase, derived from the ruler’s failure to nourish them at peace” — these are forced. Further, “Discussing principle reaches the Sòng men’s refinement, but then it proliferates; jiǎng xué reaches the Sòng men’s pertinence, but then it falls into emptiness.” Further: “Hàn and Táng’s xiǎorén are easy to see; the Sòng’s xiǎorén are hard to know. Hàn and Táng’s jūnzǐ can be trusted; the Sòng’s jūnzǐ must be examined.” These positions have insight, not empty words.

But to take Xiāo Hé’s recommending Cáo Cān as kèjǐ guīrén (Confucius’s high doctrine), or Lú Huáishèn’s yielding to Yáo Chóng as the yǒuróng (capacity-bearing) of “a single official has capacity” — although the meaning is suggestive, the placement misses the mark.

[Tíyào continues; abbreviated.]

Respectfully revised and submitted, [date].

General Compilers: Jǐ Yún 紀昀, Lù Xīxióng 陸錫熊, Sūn Shìyì 孫士毅.

Abstract

The Shì yì is a useful Mid-Míng Lǐxué-aligned yǔlù, methodologically distinct in the sharp comparative-historical judgments of the Sòng vs. HànTáng moral universe. The composition window is the period of Cuī’s Anyáng retirement, conventionally placed in his late career — Cuī states “ten years” of retirement. The frontmatter brackets to 1505–1541 (his working life from jìnshì through to death).

The substantive content includes the famous comparative judgments cited above, which became canonical lines in late-imperial Lǐxué historical reflection. The Míng chén shí jié — Cuī’s parallel work on Mid-Míng Confucian biographies — is preserved separately and is the principal source for Cuī’s biographical-comparative method.

The bibliographic record: Míng shǐ yìwén zhì; Wényuāngé shūmù; SKQS Zǐbù — Rújiā lèi.

Translations and research

  • No substantial English-language secondary literature located.
  • The work is treated within studies of Mid-Míng Lǐxué and the Míng-rú comparative-biographical tradition.

Other points of interest

Cuī Xiàn’s Lǐxué / HànTáng comparison — particularly the line “Hàn and Táng’s xiǎorén are easy to see; the Sòng’s xiǎorén are hard to know” — became a much-cited line in late-imperial Lǐxué-critical reflection. The line captures the methodological difficulty of moral assessment in periods of refined moral discourse versus periods of plainer moral discourse.

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