A Study on Wang Anshi's "Strong Debate"

The period from the second to the eighth year of the Xining reign (1069-1075) was a period of unusual turmoil in the history of the two Song dynasties. On the one hand, Wang Anshi, with the full support of Emperor Shenzong, vigorously promoted new laws. On the other hand, the formulation and implementation of each new law saw the pro-lawmakers and the anti-lawmakers locked in fierce debate and heated arguments.
This book re-examines the unanimous evaluation of Wang Anshi in historical materials - "strong debater", and examines the personalities and thoughts of the two political figures in this great debate on the new law, observing their convergence, sedimentation, excitement, and the clues of their subsequent changes, thereby outlining a unique and vibrant appearance of the Xining politics.
The Xining Reforms served as a massive ideological experiment, allowing for extensive discussion and debate on many key political issues. Yet, why did they fail to lead to successful change? This book, exploring political thought, attempts to answer this question by analyzing the intellectual framework underlying the discourse of Song Dynasty scholar-politicians and the difficulties they encountered in political practice.

2024-05-01

贵州人民出版社

Han and Tang Sunshine

275

9787221182302