Fan Zhen
Encyclopedia
Fan Zhen (circa 450
- 515
) was a Chinese
philosopher of the Southern Dynasty, remembered today for his treatise Shén Miè Lùn (simplified Chinese 神灭论, traditional Chinese 神滅論, "On the Annihilation of the Soul").
He was born into a poor family in today's Zhumadian
, Henan
province. Later he became a high-ranked official for his erudition. Reacting to Buddhism
prevailing in his time, he wrote Shen Mie Lun at 507
, denying the ideas of reincarnation
and body-soul dualism
. A courtier tried to persuade Fan to give up his opinion, in exchange of a higher official title, but was refused. Emperor Wu of Liang
, unhappy with his subject's work, made an imperial decree (敕答臣下神滅論) to criticize the treatise, and ordered 64 of his courtiers to answer Fan back. 75 pamphlets were produced against Shen Mie Lun. Fan did not surrender, though, and wrote back to hold fast to his opinion. The debate failed to disprove the treatise, and Fan Zhen was exiled by the emperor for his "heresy
".
In Shen Mie Lun, Fan writes that:
450
Year 450 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinianus and Avienus...
- 515
515
Year 515 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Florentius and Anthemius...
) was a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
philosopher of the Southern Dynasty, remembered today for his treatise Shén Miè Lùn (simplified Chinese 神灭论, traditional Chinese 神滅論, "On the Annihilation of the Soul").
He was born into a poor family in today's Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
province. Later he became a high-ranked official for his erudition. Reacting to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
prevailing in his time, he wrote Shen Mie Lun at 507
507
Year 507 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Anastasius and Venantius...
, denying the ideas of reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
and body-soul dualism
Dualism (philosophy of mind)
In philosophy of mind, dualism is a set of views about the relationship between mind and matter, which begins with the claim that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical....
. A courtier tried to persuade Fan to give up his opinion, in exchange of a higher official title, but was refused. Emperor Wu of Liang
Emperor Wu of Liang
Emperor Wu of Liang , personal name Xiao Yan , courtesy name Shuda , nickname Lian'er , was the founding emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
, unhappy with his subject's work, made an imperial decree (敕答臣下神滅論) to criticize the treatise, and ordered 64 of his courtiers to answer Fan back. 75 pamphlets were produced against Shen Mie Lun. Fan did not surrender, though, and wrote back to hold fast to his opinion. The debate failed to disprove the treatise, and Fan Zhen was exiled by the emperor for his "heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
".
In Shen Mie Lun, Fan writes that:
- "The soul is the body; the body is the soul. There is the body, there is the soul; when the body annihilates, so does the soul."（神即形也，形即神也。是以形存則神存，形謝則神滅也。）
- "The body is the substance of the soul; the soul is the effect of the body. That means the body refers to the substance, and the soul the effect. The body and the soul is one."（形者神之質，神者形之用，是則形稱其質，神言其用，形之與神，不得相異也。）
- "The soul to the substance is like sharpness to a blade; the body to the effect is like a blade to its sharpness. The blade and its sharpness do not share the same name. However, there is no blade without its sharpness, and no sharpness without the blade. As there is no sharpness without a knife, it is impossible for a soul to exist without its body."（神之於質，猶利之於刃，形之於用，猶刃之於利，利之名非刃也，刃之名非利也。然而舍利無刃，舍刃無利，未聞刃沒而利存，豈容形亡而神在。）