Were Thinkers of Mingjia Really Like Sophists?

Abstract

In this article, we aim to examine one of the schools of thought emerged in Ancient China during Warring States period. In Shiji, Sima Qian mentions the famous Hundred Schools of Thought and gives details about six most important ones among them: (I) Confucianism or Ruism, (II) Daoism, (III) Legalism, (IV) Mohism, and (V) Yin-Yang School, and last of them (VI) Mingjia. Therefore, it is important to study its impact on the intellectual debates during the era it emerged. Here, we investigate the historical and cultural environment of this school of thought. Some scholars who study Mingjia talk about its thinkers as “sophists of Ancient China”, with referring to the sophists in Ancient Greek world. We focus on presenting a background which serves understanding the thinkers belong to this school of thought, through explaining in which ways those references to sophists of Ancient Greeks were correct or not.

Keywords

• East Asian culture
• Chinese philosophy
• Chinese history
• Hundred Schools of Thought
• School of Names

MİNGJİA DÜŞÜNÜRLERİ GERÇEKTEN SOFİSTLER GİBİ MİYDİ?

Abstract

Bu makalede en temelde Antik Çin’de Savaşan Devletler döneminde ortaya çıkmış bir düşünce okulu incelenmiştir. Çin medeniyetinin kurucu metinlerinden biri olan Shiji eserinde, Sima Qian’ın Yüz Düşünce Okulu arasında en önemli altı tanesini aktarırken [(I) Konfüçyüsçülük ya da Ruizm, (II) Daoizm, (III) Legalizm, (IV) Mohizm ve (V) Yin-Yang Okulu] bahsettiği son okul Mingjia’dır. Bu anlamda, her ne kadar bu okullar arasında en az bilineni ve en az yaygınlaşmış olanı olarak Mingjia’nın Doğu Asya kültürüne etkisi, diğer beş okula kıyasla daha az olmuş olsa da, yine de bu okulun ortaya çıktığı döneme etkisini araştırmak önemlidir. Bu makalede bu düşünce okulunun entelektüel, tarihsel ve kültürel arka planı incelenmiştir. Bu okula ilişkin araştırmacıların bir kısmı bu okulun düşünürlerinden, Antik Grek dünyasının sofistlerine göndermede bulunarak “Antik Çin’in Sofistleri” şeklinde bahseder. Bu makalede de amaçlanan, bu benzetmenin hangi açılardan doğru ve yanlış olduğunu ortaya sererek, Mingjia düşünürlerini anlamayı kolaylaştıracak bir arka plan oluşturmaktır.

Keywords

• Doğu Asya kültürü
• Çin felsefesi
• Çin tarihi
• Yüz Düşünce Okulu
• İsimler Okulu

Ethical Statement

Makale araştırma ve yayın etiğine uygun olarak hazırlanmıştır. Yapılan bu çalışma etik kurul izni gerektirmemektedir.

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