Huainanzi

Huainanzi
Qing-era copy of Huainanzi
Chinese淮南子
Literal meaning[The Writings of] the Huainan Masters

The Huainanzi is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139 BCE. The Huainanzi blends Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist, and Legalist concepts, including theories such as yin and yang and Wu Xing theories.

The Huainanzi's essays are all connected to one primary goal: attempting to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order.[1] It concludes that perfect societal order derives mainly from a perfect ruler, and the essays are compiled in such a way as to serve as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court.[1]

  1. ^ a b Le Blanc (1993), p. 189.

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