Yu Zhengxie

Yu Zhengxie (1775–1840) was a Chinese philosopher, scholar, philologist, and writer from the Qing dynasty. Born in Yi county, Anhui, he spent his formative years in Jurong, Jiangsu. His father, Yu Xian, served as a sub-director of schools in Jurong from 1778 to 1794. Yu Zhengxie's scholarly career included assisting in the compilation of the "Collected Statutes of the Great Qing" in 1818 and writing a history of his hometown. He achieved the rank of juren in 1821 after passing the imperial provincial examination, though he later failed the metropolitan examination in 1833. Yu Zhengxie is particularly recognized for his progressive views on women's issues. He was a vocal critic of practices such as foot binding, female infanticide, and the enforced chastity of widows. His work on philology led him to interpret historical Chinese texts as supporting an egalitarian view of marriage. Lin Yutang considered him one of the "three pre-modern Chinese male feminists" alongside Yuan Mei and Li Ruzhen. In addition to his critiques of social customs, Yu Zhengxie also wrote on topics such as Taiwan, Tibetan religion, and the relationship between Tibet and the Manchus.