XunCan:Predecessor To The Bamboo Grove Style

Xun Can was an unorthodox member of the Yingchuan Xuns of the Wei-Jin. He embodied the style and special attributes of the typical Wei-Jin scholar, from which he enjoyed great fame and honour beyond himself. Strictly speaking, Xun is not generally included in the ranks of Zhengshi (240-249) period scholars, though by force of habit people have placed his name amongst three scholars from the Zhengshi-Xiahou Xuan, He Yan and Wang Bi. This essay collects, examines, investigates and lays out scattered historical records pertaining directly and indirectly to Xun Can, as well as comparing the political trajectories of other members of the Xun lineage in the same time period, in making an investigation of the most thorough extent possible of Xun Can’s thinking, political stance and personal style. Our conclusions are as follows:Xun Can’s appearance on the scene commences at a slightly earlier date than that of the Zhengshi scholars, but his’dark learning’and personal attitude are on the other hand closer in spirit to that of the scholars of the Bamboo Grove and those after. Xun’s’dark learning’thinking stands at a more extreme point than those two representatives of dark learning from the Zhengshi-He Yan and Wang Bi-and within this is stored the starting point of the’dark learning’of the scholars of the bamboo grove-that of "overcoming the school of names [Confucianism] and going in accord with the natural", as well as the roots of a combination between’dark learning’and Confucianism that follows the scholars of the bamboo grove. This is the principal reason why Xun earned the appreciation of scholars following the bamboo grove school, such as He Shao. Furthermore, the greatest difference between Xun Can and the Zhengshi scholars lies in the fact that his’dark learning’thoughts manifest themselves directly in his actual life-as a person he "did not manage his outer appearance", "his words were respectful and his’darkness’far-spreading", and "he was aloof with others", both fond of physical pleasure and passionate in his emotions, which all brought him close to the style of the bamboo grove. Outside of this, through an examination from the political plane, Xun’s words and actions have their own deep political meaning. The reign of Emperor Ming (226-239) of the Wei in which Xun Can lived was a historical period in which opposition and conflict between the gentry and the Cao clan grew more striking by the day. Xun Can chose to turn away from his high-status gentry livelihood, opting for the neutral ground above all political conflict. In this respect Xun’s comes out principally the same as the the political attitude behind the style of the bamboo grove scholars-both in reality stand on the same historical line in the struggles between the Caos and the gentry. Thus, whether we speak of inner thinking or its expression in outward forms, or deep-seated political attitudes, in any case we may be permitted to believe that Xun Can represents the predecessor to the voices of the bamboo grove.This essay is divided into five sections and three chapters. Chapter one discusses the political attitude and personal belief of He Shao as away of analysing his primary reasons for compositng the ’Biography of Xun Can’. Chapter two examines the three above-mentioned attributes of Xun Can-that he"did not manage his outer appearance", "his words were respectful and his ’darkness’ far-spreading" and "both fond of physical pleasure and passionate in his emotions" to determine the similarities and connections between Xun Can’s personal style and that of the scholars of the bamboo grove. In chapter three, we examine political shifts around the reign of Emperor Ming of Wwei in investigating the political will concealed behind Xun Can’s words and actions.