Zisi

Zisi (c. 481 – c. 402 BCE), born Kong Ji, was a Chinese philosopher and the grandson of Confucius. He was the son of Kong Li and the only grandson of Confucius. Zisi is traditionally accredited with transmitting Confucian teaching to Mencius and writing the Doctrine of the Mean, Biaoji, Ziyi, and Fangji, which are currently chapters of the Liji. It has been suggested that Shi Shuo played an intermediary role in the transmission to Mencius, as Zisi's life dates do not overlap with Mencius'. Zisi's philosophical inquiries delved into the relativity of human knowledge concerning the universe. He aimed to analyze various types of actions and believed that wise individuals, aware of their moral and intellectual obligations, could internalize the reality of the universe. Zisi's ideas were notably criticized by Xunzi in his "Against Twelve Masters" chapter, specifically targeting the Wuxing teaching. Zhang Binglin suggested that Zisi attempted to integrate Confucian teachings with numerology, potentially influenced by the "Great Plan" chapter of the Shangshu, according to Li Xueqin. While an edition of the book attributed to Zisi was compiled by Wang Zhuo, it was not recognized as authentic. A more reliable edition was prepared by Huang Yizhou, who noted parallels between Zisi's thinking and the Huainanzi. Recent discoveries, such as the Wuxing (text) and the Guodian text "Duke Mu of Lu Asks Zisi," have provided new insights into Zisi's teachings, particularly concerning the concept of the "loyal minister."