Who is Ji Zhen 季真？

May 11, 2025 paulpeng

Ji Zhen was a native of Jixia during the Warring States period. He was a worthy man in the State of Qi and lived around the same time as Jie Zi. In Zhuangzi · Zeyang, it is mentioned that "Ji Zhen advocated non - action", which means his theory held that the Tao is based on nature and human efforts should not interfere with things.

In Xunzi · Chengxiang, it is stated that "Shen Dao, Mozi, Ji Zhen, and Huizi, the theories of the various schools, are truly not detailed." Here, "Ji" refers to Ji Zhen. In Hanfeizi · Waichu Shuo Zuo Shang, it is said that "Therefore, Li, Huizi, Songzi, and Mozi all painted strategies." Regarding "Li" here, some people think it should be "Ji". Some say it refers to Ji Liang, and others say it refers to Gongsun Long, but some also believe it is Ji Zhen, because when Xunzi and Hanfeizi mentioned "Shen Dao, Mozi, and Songzi", they all referred to these people by their surnames. Unfortunately, there are no other records of his deeds in historical books.

Ji Zhen's ideological school belonged to Taoism, and his proposition was "non - action", which was exactly opposite to Jie Zi's "you shi" (there is an activator in the universe). Regarding this theory, there is a comment in Zhuangzi · Zeyang: Shaozhi asked Dagongdiao which statement was correct, Ji Zhen's "non - action" (there is no activator in the universe) or Jie Zi's "you shi" (there is a master in the universe). Dagongdiao said that both the statement that there is a master in the universe and the statement that there is no activator in the universe tend to materialize things and are ultimately deviated. Saying that there is a master leads to being practical, and saying that there is no activator leads to nothingness. Both statements are sufficient to expand people's doubts. Dagongdiao thus believed that the theory of "you shi" and the theory of "non - action" were both one - sided, not detached from things, and were inappropriate and wrong for the Tao, not in line with Lao Tzu's "Great Tao".