Chinese classics

The Chinese classics are a massive collection of foundational literature. These works were authored before the Qin dynasty began in 221 BC. In Chinese, the word for "classic" literally means "warp thread." This term refers to the specific techniques used to bind these works into volumes. These texts serve as the bedrock of Chinese culture and values. They include diverse subjects like history, philosophy, and poetry. They also cover practical fields like medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.

Classical Chinese is the specific written form used in these texts. Later authors consciously imitated this style when they wrote. The classics are organized into several distinct categories. The "shi" are historical records. The "zi" are master texts. The "ji" are literary works. There are also philosophical treatises that were later organized into different schools of thought. Some writings even focus on the cultivation of "jing," which means "essence" in Chinese medicine.

A famous legend concerns the loss of these texts during the Qin dynasty. After Qin Shi Huang unified China in 221 BC, his chancellor Li Si suggested suppressing intellectual discourse. He reportedly believed that certain books were politically dangerous. These categories included poetry, history, and philosophy. Li Si feared that stories of virtuous ancient rulers might make people dissatisfied with the present. However, modern historians often doubt the details of this story. Some scholars, like Michael Nylan, suggest the story might be a way to slander the Qin state. It is also possible many books were lost when the Qin palace was razed in 207 BC.

During the Western Han dynasty, the "Five Classics" became a state-sponsored curriculum. This happened because the dynasty adopted Confucianism as its official ideology. These five texts were first treated as a single collection during this era. The collection includes the Classic of Poetry, which contains 305 poems. These poems include 160 folk songs, 105 festal songs, and 40 hymns. The Book of Documents is another key text. It is a collection of speeches from early rulers and may date to the 6th century BC. The I Ching is a famous book used for a divination system.

Scholars played a vital role in preserving and organizing these works. Liu Xiang was a prominent Han-era scholar and editor. He compiled the first catalogue of the imperial library in 26 BCE. He also edited the Book of Rites and the Biographies of Exemplary Women. His son, Liu Xin, continued his father's massive editing projects. The versions of the classical texts we know today derive from the work of the Liu pair. Their editing was so vast that it changed our understanding of pre-imperial China.

In the Song dynasty, a scholar named Zhu Xi selected a new group called the "Four Books." These texts illustrate the core beliefs of Confucianism. They include the "Great Learning," which is a short text attributed to Confucius. It also includes the "Doctrine of the Mean," which focuses on finding a "golden way" to achieve virtue. The "Analects" is a compilation of speeches and discussions involving Confucius. Finally, the "Mencius" contains long dialogues with the scholar Mencius.

For centuries, these books were essential for social and political life. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Four Books were mandatory for the imperial examinations. To become a scholar-official, one had to pass these difficult tests. Even military officers often had to memorize these texts. By the Ming dynasty, the official curriculum grew to include the "Thirteen Classics." This was a staggering academic requirement. Students had to memorize more than 600,000 characters from the primary texts. When including the necessary commentaries and annotations, the total reaches approximately 300 million characters.