Who is Zhong Changtong 仲长统?

Zhong Changtong (180-222) was a thinker and atheist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, styled Gongli.

He was from Gaoping, Shanyang (now southwest of Zou County, Shandong). He studied since childhood and became well-read in literature as he grew up. He served as an imperial secretary and participated in Cao Cao's military affairs.

In philosophy, he advocated for the separation of heaven and man, denying the intervention of "heaven" in human affairs, believing that Liu Bang's entrepreneurship, the revival under Emperor Guangwu, and the achievements of figures like Xiao He and Cao Cao were all due to "human affairs" and had nothing to do with "heavenly principles." On one hand, he promoted Confucianism, advocating that "education should be centered on propriety and rituals, which are based on classics" ("Changyan").

On the other hand, he also advocated Taoist doctrines, regarding transcendence, indulgence, and self-sufficiency as ideal states, proposing to "think about Laozi's profound emptiness," "seek after the semblance of the perfect person," "live carefree above the world, looking down upon the space between heaven and earth. Not being accountable to the current era, preserving the period of life," and further advocating "to go beyond the universe" ("Book of Later Han · Biography of Zhong Changtong"). He also showed a strong inclination to follow nature and destroy the established norms, writing: "What is there to worry about? The most important thing lies within me. I entrust my sorrow to the heavens, bury my worries underground. I rebel against and disperse the 'Five Classics,' extinguish and abandon the 'Feng' and 'Ya.' The miscellaneous teachings of the hundred schools, please burn them. I stand firm in my will to live in the mountains, wander my heart to the left of the sea. Vital energy as a boat, gentle breeze as a rudder. Soar freely through the great clear, indulge without restraint" (ibid.).

Pursuing profound emptiness, indulging oneself carefreely, rebelling against the Five Classics, these are significant characteristics of Zhong Changtong's thought. This characteristic is closely connected with the metaphysical trends of the Wei and Jin dynasties. He is mentioned in Volume 49 of "Book of Later Han" and Volume 1 of "Records of the Three Kingdoms." His works include "Changyan" (see Volume 45 of "Collection of Essential Books for Governance").