Zi Xia

Bu Shang (Chinese: 卜商; Wade–Giles: Pu Shang; 507–420? BC), commonly known by his courtesy name Zixia (Chinese: 子夏; Wade–Giles: Tzu-hsia), was a prominent disciple of Confucius who was considered one of the most accomplished in cultural learning. He was one of the five disciples who took chief responsibility for the transmission of Confucius' teachings. He played a significant role in the transmission of such classics as the Book of Poetry and the I Ching. He established his own school, and taught Marquess Wen of Wei, ruler of Wei, the most powerful state of the early Warring States period.

Said to be a teacher of early "Legalist" Li Kui, Bu Shang is cited for the principle of favoring talents over favoritism.

It is uncertain which state Bu Shang came from. Different ancient sources named his birthplace variously as either Wey, Wei, or Wen (溫). Modern scholars, including Ch'ien Mu, generally believe he was from Wei. Born in 507 BC, he was 44 years younger than Confucius.

The most frequently mentioned characteristic of Bu Shang is his love of book learning, and he was well versed in the Classics. He recommended broad, committed learning, and more than a millennium after his lifetime, his phrase, "Reflect on things near at hand" (jinsi) was used as the title of one of the most important works of Neo-Confucianism. However, he had a "tendency toward pedantry", and sometimes treated learning as "an end unto itself". While lavishing praise on him for cultural learning, Confucius mildly criticized Bu Shang for his pedantry, reminding him of the greater ultimate importance of virtuous action over learning.

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