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Zhang Zai (1020–77)

By
Thompson, Kirill Ole

DOI: 10.4324/9780415249126-G064-1
Version: v1, Published online: 1998
Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/biographical/zhang-zai-1020-77/v-1

Article Summary

Zhang Zai was a seminal neo-Confucian cosmologist and ethical thinker. Like Zhou Dunyi and Shao Yong, he was inspired by the Yijing (Book of Changes) and its commentaries; unlike them, he worked out a conception based solely on the concept of qi (cosmic vapour). He espoused an ethical vision, global in spirit, that greatly enhanced the moral significance of Confucianism.

Citing this article:
Thompson, Kirill Ole. Zhang Zai (1020–77), 1998, doi:10.4324/9780415249126-G064-1. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Taylor and Francis, https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/biographical/zhang-zai-1020-77/v-1.
Copyright © 1998-2026 Routledge.

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Zhang Zai (1020–77)

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