| Jixia Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 稷下學宮 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 稷下学宫 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheJixia Academy orAcademy of the Gate of Chi[1] was a scholarly academy during theWarring States period.[1] It was located inLinzi, the capital ofQi (present-dayShandong). The academy took its name from its position outside the city's western gate,[2] named for theharvest godJi orHou ji.
Based on passages in theRecords of the Grand Historian,[3] the academy is generally credited toKing Xuan and given a foundation date around 318 BC. However,Xu Gan credited the academy to King Xuan's grandfather,Duke Huan of Tian Qi, not to be confused withDuke Huan of Qi.Sima Qian's passages are consistent with King Xuan having restored – rather than established – the institution.[4]
The academy has been characterized as "the first time on record a state began to act as a patron of scholarship out of the apparent conviction that this was a proper function of the state",[5] though some have argued that itsHuanglao political theories, and the prestige produced by the project, were undertaken merely to bolster theTian clan's legitimacy followingDuke Tai's overthrow of Qi's previousJiang dynasty[6] andDuke Huan of Tian Qi execution of his brother, nephew, and mother.[7]
Scholars – including the most renowned of the era – came from great distances to lodge in the academy: theTaoist philosophersTian Pia,Shen Dao,Peng Meng, and possiblyZhuangzi;[1]Zou Yan, the founder of theSchool of Naturalists; theMohist philosopherSong Xing; and theConfucian philosophersMencius,[8]Xun Zi,[9] andChunyu Kun. The famous scenes of theMencius dealing with King Xuan arose from the philosopher's time at the academy. The Jixia Academy was also the original center of theHuanglao school and was involved with the compilation of theGuanzi essayNeiye "Inward Training" that is the oldest received writing concerning "cultivation ofqi" and meditation.[5] Some have argued it was the probable location for the editing and redaction that produced the currentTao Teh Ching.[2]
The academy was popular not only because of the mansions[3] and stipends provided,[9] but because of the honors bestowed by King Xuan: the chief scholar held the rank of "Grand Prefect"[clarification needed] and other leaders of the academy were called "Master" (先生,xiānshēng) and honored as if they were high ministers of state (上大夫,shàngdàifū) rather than lowlyscholar gentry and they were exempt fromcorvee.[9] According to the anti-Confucian chapter eleven ofDiscourses on Salt and Iron (81 BC), "King Xuan of Qi appreciated the scholars and their teachings. Mencius, Chunyu Kun, and others neglected the high offices they were given, preferring to make speeches about affairs of state. There were more than one thousand of these scholars disputing at the Jixia Academy in Qi. You admit that people like Gongsun Hong were everywhere then."[10]
The Jixia Academy thrived until the reign ofKing Min. In 284 BC, it was scattered byYan's sack of Linzi. However,Sima Qian credited its example with the creation of other academies, particularly those of theFour Lords:Lord Mengchang's withinQi, as well asLord Pingyuan's inZhao,Lord Chunshen's inChu, andLord Xinling's inWei.[11] InQin, thechancellorLü Buwei supported thousands of scholars between 250 and 238 BC.
In February 2022, archaeologists announced the discovery of the ruins of the academy inZibo city,Shandong province. The excavation, which had been going for 5 years before the announcement, turned up four rows of building foundations that belonged to the academy complex, along with architectural components that "would glow with colorful lights when the sun shines on them". The site measures about 210 m from east to west at its widest and 190 m long from north to south, shaped roughly like a right-angled trapezoid from above, with a total area of nearly 40,000 square meters.[12]
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