Northern Song 'Yijing' exegesis and the formation of Neo-Confucianism

In Sinological scholarship, the Yijing commentaries are only studied to clarify the text. By comparing five Yijing commentaries written between the second century and the eleventh century, I demonstrate how conflicting interpretations of the Yijing reflect the changing intellectual concerns in China. And by focusing on the writings of Hu Yuan (993-1059), Zhang Zai (1020-1077) and Cheng Yi (1033-1107), I explicate the differences among early Neo-Confucians and thereby call into question the systemic picture that we usually associate with Northern Song Neo-Confucianism.