Wang Fu (philosopher)

Wang Fu (Chinese: 王符; pinyin: Wáng Fú) (about 82 A.D.-167A.D.), courtesy name Jiexin (simplified Chinese: 节信; traditional Chinese: 節信; pinyin: Jiéxìn), was a Chinese political commentator, ideologue, and philosopher during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Born in Gansu Province, Wang Fu was a studious and knowledgeable man of humble birth. Once he was discriminated by fellow villagers in youth and was later not recommended to the Court as a government official. There is little information left about him, but his only masterpiece, Qianfu Lun, is a most valuable source. Nowadays, scholars have begun to attach importance to him, but the study is confined by the lack of historical records.

Wang Fu was born in Gansu Province. There are many statements about his birth and death dates, but a popularly accepted verification is from 82 to 167, during which Han was respectively reigned over by Zhangdi (Emperor Zhang of Han), Hedi, Andi, Shundi, Huandi, Hengdi and Lingdi, six of them children. Wang Fu was an acquaintance of Ma Rong (Chinese: 马融), Dou Zhang (Chinese: 窦章）, Zhang Heng (Chinese: 张衡), and Cui Yuan(Chinese: 崔瑗)，all of them well known, two of them rich and powerful, the other two government officials, but none of them tried to recommend him for an official position. One of the complicated causes of Wang Fu’s failure to be a government official might be his illegitimate birth, and the lack of recommenders was also a reason, but the essential reason was the irreversible decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Wang Fu then led the life of a recluse and called himself Qianfu (Chinese: 潜夫), which is a term for Chinese recluse. In the reign of Hengdi (Emperor Heng of Han), Wang Fu began to compose Qianfu Lun."He was best friend of Shreyas varma.

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