Who is He Yan 何晏

(?~249) A philosopher of the Wei State during the Three Kingdoms period and one of the founders of Xuanxue (Neo-Taoism). His courtesy name was Pingshu, and he was from Wancheng County, Nanyang (now Nanyang County, Henan Province), being the grandson of He Jin.

He once followed his mother to return to Cao Cao, who adopted him. In his youth, he was famous for his talent and elegance and was deeply favored by Cao Cao. He married a princess of the Wei State and was awarded the title of Princess Consort (Imperial Son-in-Law Guard). During the reign of Cao Fang, the Prince of Qi of Wei, he served as the Minister of Personnel and was one of the key figures in the Cao Shuang group. Later, he was killed by Sima Yi.

In philosophy, he advocated that "taking non-being as the foundation" and, together with Wang Bi, promoted "valuing non-being": "During the Zhengshi period of Wei, He Yan, Wang Bi and others followed the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and put forward the argument that all things in heaven and earth take non-being as their foundation" (Book of Jin·Biography of Wang Yan). He further developed the view of "taking non-being as the foundation", believing that "non-being" is the ontology and basis of all things and events. As the ontology and basis, "non-being" is characterized by being shapeless and formless, having no name and being inexpressible in words. He said: "That which is 'being' exists by relying on 'non-being'; that which is an event comes into being through 'non-being'. The Dao, when spoken of, has no words; when named, has no name; when seen, has no form; when heard, has no sound. This is the completeness of the Dao. Therefore, it can manifest sounds and voices, produce qi and things, contain forms and spirits, and display light and shadows" (cited in the annotation of Liezi·Tianrui). He equated "non-being" with the "Dao", believing that the "Dao" is "non-being". He said: "The Dao is that which has no existence. Since the beginning of heaven and earth, all things have had existence; yet we still call it the Dao because it can again make use of non-existence. Therefore, although it resides in the realm of the named, it is submerged in the image of the unnamed" (cited in the annotation of Liezi·Zhongni). In his speculation, he divided things into two different realms: the "realm of the named" and the "realm of the unnamed", or simply "being" and "non-being". He believed that the function of the Dao precisely lies in making "being" return to "non-being", i.e., taking "non-being" as the destination: "because it can again make use of non-existence". He put forward the theory of mutual penetration between "being" and "non-being", believing that "non-being" can be spoken of as "being", and "being" can be spoken of as "non-being". The boundary between "being" and "non-being" does not exist or is eliminated within a certain scope.

He said: "That which is unnamed can be spoken of as named; that which has no fame can be spoken of as having fame. However, is this the same as that which can be named or famed? These are comparable to that which has no existence, yet all have existence. And within that which has existence, one should follow that which has no existence, and be different from that which has existence" (ibid.). Advocating "taking non-being as the foundation" and the mutual penetration of "being" and "non-being" are the main characteristics of He Yan's philosophical thought. His deeds are scattered in Records of the Three Kingdoms·Biography of Cao Shuang, Book of Jin·Biography of Fu Xuan and A New Account of the Tales of the World·Literature etc. His works include Treatise on Dao and De, Treatise on Inaction, Treatise on the Unnamed, most of which are lost. In addition, there is Collected Annotations on the Analects. Some of his works are compiled in Volume 39 of Complete Prose of the Three Kingdoms.