Qian Dehong (simplified Chinese:钱德洪;traditional Chinese:錢德洪;pinyin:Qián Déhóng;Wade–Giles:Ch'ien Te-hung) was a notable Chinese philosopher, writer, and educator during the mid-lateMing Dynasty.
Qian was born inYuyao, Shaoxing Fu (紹興府/绍兴府; currentNingbo),Zhejiang Province. His original name wasKuan (宽), andcourtesy name wasHongfu (洪甫). Because his recent ancestry also had the same name, to avoid thetaboo, his name was changed fromKuan toDehong.
When Qian was young, he settled in Lingxu Hill (霛緒山/灵绪山; akaLingxushan) and systematically studied theI Ching, so people also call himMr. Xushan (緒山先生/绪山先生).
In the 11th Year ofJiajing Era (嘉靖十一年; 1532), Qian joined theimperial examination together withWang Ji, who was his classmate and also an importantConfucian philosopher during his time. Qian was qualified and ranked asJinshi (進士/进士).
He was later matriculated as a local governmental official. Qian spent most of his life as a secretary forWang Yangming, and a lecturer in several schools.
Qian was an early student (or disciple) of the philosopherWang Yangming, together with his classmate Wang Ji. Qian spent most of his life studying Confucian classics and developing the philosophy of theYangming School of Mind (陽明心學/阳明心学; Japanese:陽明学; Japaneseromanization:Ōyōmei-gaku,Ō stands for the surname "Wang",yōmei stands for "Yangming",gaku means "school of learning").
Qian collected and emended Wang's philosophical works. When Wang died, he also edited Wang's full biography. Qian demonstrated and further developed Wang Yangming's philosophy, especially the explanation of Wang Yangming's influentialFour-Sentence Doctrine (四句教), however his interpretation was quite different from his classmate and colleague Wang Ji's.
Qian wrote thepreface andpostscript for Wang Yangming's most important philosophical work –The Record of Teaching and Practising (《傳習錄》/《传习录》)
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