Who is Wenzi 文子?

Wenzi was a philosopher in the early Warring States Period and a disciple of Laozi. His main active years were in the late Spring and Autumn Period and the early Warring States Period.

In philosophy, he elaborated on Laozi's theory of the Tao. He believed that the "Tao," which serves as the origin of the world, is so lofty that it cannot be reached to the extreme, so profound that it cannot be fathomed, formless and shapeless, all-encompassing and omnipresent.

This "Tao" is actually qi. He pointed out that before the heaven and earth were formed, qi was "obscure and mysterious, and integrated into one." Through the differentiation and interaction of qi, the heaven, earth, all things and human beings were formed. The heavy and turbid qi became the earth, the refined and subtle qi became the heaven, the essence qi became human beings, and the coarse qi became insects ( Wenzi · Jiushou, only the chapter name will be noted hereafter). "Yin and yang mold and cultivate all things, and all are born by relying on one qi" ( Xiade ).

He also developed Laozi's thought of the natural inaction of the Tao of Heaven. He believed that inaction did not mean sitting still, but rather eliminating subjective prejudices and acting in accordance with the laws. He pointed out that "what is called inaction does not mean that it will not come when pulled, will not go when pushed, will not respond when forced, will not move when stimulated, is rigid and immobile, or is curled up and cannot be dispersed. It means that personal will does not interfere with the just way, desires do not deviate from the correct techniques, things are done in accordance with reason, achievements are made based on available resources, and the natural trend is followed." ( Ziran ) He put forward the concept of "yin" (following or conforming). He believed that in both the natural world and social life, one must "yin," that is, follow the laws of things themselves. He said: "Therefore, those who channel water follow the flow of water, those who plant crops follow the suitability of the land, those who wage wars follow the will of the people. If one can follow (the laws), one will be invincible in the world." "Governing the world with the Tao does not mean changing the nature of the people, but rather making it smooth and unobstructed according to what they have." (Ibid.) He advocated relying on the wisdom and strength of the masses to ensure that progress and retreat are appropriate and that movement and stillness follow reason. He said: "Therefore, what is accomplished by the accumulated strength of the people will surely be victorious; what is done by the collective wisdom of the people will surely succeed." ( Xiade ) "If one uses the wisdom and strength of the people, even Wu Huo (a strongman) is not reliable; if one takes advantage of the momentum of the people, the whole world is not enough to be used. Therefore, when a sage undertakes something, he never fails to use the available resources." ( Ziran )

He affirmed the objectivity of contradictions. He believed that the two sides of a contradiction are interdependent and inclusive of each other. He pointed out that "there is yin in yang, and there is yang in yin" ( Weiming ), and also affirmed that the two opposing sides can transform into each other. He pointed out that "when the yang qi is in abundance, it turns into yin; when the yin qi is in abundance, it turns into yang" ( Shangde ), "The Tao of Heaven will reverse when it reaches the extreme. When it is full, it will decrease. When things are prosperous, they will decline. The sun will shift after reaching its zenith, the moon will wane after it is full, and joy will end in sorrow" ( Jiushou ). Wenzi's words were highly regarded by later generations.

Han Fei cited Wenzi's thought in Neichushuo Shang Qishu: "When rewards and praises are meager and false, the subordinates will not be willing to serve. When rewards and praises are substantial and reliable, the subordinates will be willing to sacrifice their lives. The explanation lies in what Wenzi said about 'being like beasts and deer'."

Liu An's Huainanzi copied many of Wenzi's words in whole paragraphs.

Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty praised Geng Sangchu and Wenzi for their hard study and for having grasped the profound mystery of Laozi's Tao ( Baopuzi · Zhili ).

The Art and Literature Records of the Han Dynasty listed nine chapters of Wenzi in the Taoist category. Both the Sui Shu Jingji Zhi and the Tang Shu Jingji Zhi recorded it.

Li Xian of the Northern Wei Dynasty and Xu Lingfu of the Tang Dynasty respectively wrote annotations for Wenzi. Wei Zheng and others of the Tang Dynasty excerpted Wenzi and included it in Volume Five of Qunshu Zhiyao. After the Song Dynasty, Huang Zhen and others regarded Wenzi as a forged book.

In 1973, among the bamboo slips unearthed from Han Tomb No. 40 in Ding County, Hebei Province, there were fragments of Wenzi. There were six chapters of texts that were the same as those in the current version of Wenzi, proving that Wenzi was an ancient book of the Pre-Qin period that was already popular in the Western Han Dynasty.