Dai Zhen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dai Zhen
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Dai Zhen
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| Born | January 19, 1724 Xiuning, Anhui
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| Died | July 1, 1777 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Chinese scholar of the Qing dynasty |
Dai Zhen (Chinese: 戴震; pinyin: Dài Zhèn; Wade–Giles: Tai Chen, January 19, 1724 – July 1, 1777) was a very important Chinese scholar. He lived during the Qing dynasty. Dai Zhen came from a place called Xiuning in Anhui, China.
He was a talented person who studied many different things. These included mathematics, geography, and the study of sounds in language (phonology). He also made big contributions to philosophy, which is about understanding big ideas. His ideas about philosophy and language are still important today.
Dai Zhen's Big Ideas
Dai Zhen was part of a group of thinkers called the Han Learning school. This group believed in "Evidential Learning." This meant they thought it was important to find clear evidence to understand the world. They often disagreed with another group called "Neo-Confucianism."
Looking for Truth
Dai Zhen had two main criticisms of Neo-Confucianism. First, he believed that Neo-Confucianism focused too much on looking inside oneself. He thought that true understanding came from studying the world around us. He felt that we should investigate things outside ourselves to find answers.
Understanding Human Feelings
Second, Dai Zhen disagreed with the idea that people should try to get rid of their desires. Some believed that desires stopped people from thinking clearly. But Dai Zhen argued that human desires are a natural and good part of being human.
He believed that trying to remove desires made it hard to understand our own feelings. It also made it difficult to feel empathy for others. Empathy means understanding and sharing the feelings of other people. Dai Zhen thought that our desires helped us connect with others.
His Writings
Dai Zhen wrote many important books and essays. These works shared his ideas about philosophy and how to study things. Some of his famous writings include:
- Meng Zi ziyi shuzheng (Evidential Commentary on the Meaning of the Words of Mencius)
- Yuanshan (Tracing the origin of goodness)
- Du Meng Zi lun xing (Reading Mencius about human nature)
His writings helped shape how people thought about learning and human nature in China.
