Figures of Taoism: Wei Guiren 魏归仁

Wei Guiren was a scholar in the Tang Dynasty. He was mainly active during the period of Empress Wu Zetian and was a friend of Zhang Shuo (667-730). In philosophy, he adhered to the viewpoints of Laozi and Zhuangzi, especially their outlook on life. He advocated secluding oneself from the world to live a carefree life, unconditionally and indiscriminately opposed fame and position, and concluded that anyone holding an important official post would attract slander and criticism; anyone with a far-spread good reputation would inevitably be slandered. Based on this, he regarded escaping fame and avoiding positions as the destination of virtuous and wise men. He said, "Therefore, a virtuous man escapes fame, and a wise man avoids positions. He cultivates his nature to keep his body peaceful, and composes writings to express his aspirations" (Ode to Leisurely Residence, same below).

In terms of the relationship between nobility and humbleness, goodness and evil, he thought that nobility was not as good as humbleness, and goodness was not as good as evil. He asserted, "Nobility only increases worries and toils; goodness has not yet been separated from greed and attachment. It is useless to pity the disaster of overthrow, and it is vain to be entangled in the bonds of love and desire." Regarding the relationship between "coming" (including birth and engaging in politics as an official) and "going" (including death and resigning to live in seclusion), he thought that "coming" was not as good as "going". He said, "If coming is not enough to comfort, perhaps going can make one do nothing." In terms of general attitude towards life, he despised honor and favor and took pleasure in living in a humble room. He advocated "bending and stretching according to fate, acting and using according to the times", completely obeying the arrangement of fate. He put forward the proposition of "certainly should be indifferent to approval or disapproval, and equalize preferences and aversions", adhering to relativist views. The so-called "indifferent to approval or disapproval" means not expressing approval or disapproval or transcending the boundaries of affirmation and negation. The so-called "equalize preferences and aversions" means not distinguishing between intimacy and estrangement, thickness and thinness, hostility and love. The term "preferences and aversions" comes from The Analects of Confucius. Confucius said, "The superior man, in regard to the world, has no predilections or aversions; he follows what is right." (The Analects of Confucius · Li Ren Chapter)

There are many explanations of "preferences and aversions" by predecessors. Some explain it as "intimacy, estrangement, thickness and thinness", and "no predilections or aversions" means "no feelings of intimacy, estrangement, thickness or thinness". Some explain it as "hostility and envy", with "preferences" read as hostility and "aversions" read as envy. "Equalize preferences and aversions" means "having no enmity and no admiration" or not distinguishing between intimacy and estrangement, thickness and thinness. While putting forward the relativist proposition of "indifferent to approval or disapproval, and equalize preferences and aversions", Wei Guiren also denied choice and consideration. He said, "Since there is no rejection or acceptance, what is there to worry or think about?" Rejection and acceptance are a pair of contradictions. The so-called rejection refers to elimination, abandonment, sublation, etc., which is a negative concept; the so-called acceptance refers to acquisition, adoption, inheritance, absorption, etc., which is a positive concept. Wei Guiren advocated "no rejection or acceptance", blurring the contradiction and opposition between rejection and acceptance. Since he adhered to relativist views, obliterating the boundaries between opposing things and phenomena such as nobility and humbleness, goodness and evil, approval or disapproval, preferences and aversions, rejection and acceptance, the cognitive activity that takes distinguishing things, analyzing things and then grasping the special nature of things as important content has become redundant. It was under such circumstances that he sighed "what is there to worry or think about", denying the necessity of cognition. His work Ode to Leisurely Residence is included in Volume 26 of the Complete Prose of the Tang Dynasty (revised edition).