He Yan
He Yan was a notable figure from the Wei Dynasty in ancient China, recognized for his contributions to Daoist philosophy and his association with significant political figures of his time. He was the grandson of He Jin, a prominent general during the Han Dynasty, and later adopted by Cao Cao, the founder of the Wei Dynasty. In this imperial family, He Yan was esteemed as a prince and elevated to the title of Lie Hou after marrying a princess, reflecting his high status within the social hierarchy of the period.
Despite his noble status, He Yan's life was cut short due to a power struggle shortly after he was appointed as the minister of official personnel affairs. He devoted much of his intellectual pursuits to studying Daoism, particularly the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and he was instrumental in the Xuan Study movement, an intellectual movement that emphasized Daoist thought during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. He Yan is particularly noted for his exploration of the concept of nothingness or nonexistence, which he posited as fundamental to understanding existence. Although many of his writings have been lost, his influence on Daoist philosophy and his intellectual legacy continue to be recognized in historical discussions of the era.
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He Yan
Related civilization: China
Major role/position: Government official, Daoist scholar
Life
Little is known about He Yan’s (hoh YUHN) life. He was a grandson of He Jin, a famous general of the Han Dynasty. He was later adopted by Cao Cao (155-220 c.e.), the founder of the Wei Dynasty. In Cao’s imperial family, He Yan was treated as a prince. After he was married to a princess, He Yan was given the title of Lie Hou, which was the highest rank of nobility at the time. He Yan was appointed the minister of official personnel affairs, but not long afterward, he was killed in a power struggle. For most of his life, He Yan studied Daoism, particularly the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi. He wrote several dozen essays, but most of them were lost.
Influence
He Yan was one of the main figures in the Xuan Study movement, a Daoist intellectual movement in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. He was as well known as Wang Bi (226-249 c.e.) and was responsible for the development and elaboration of the Daoist theory of nothingness or nonexistence as the foundation, the root, the source, and the essence of existence.
Bibliography
Chan, Wing-tsit, ed. and trans. A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1963.
Fung, Yu-lan. A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. New York: Free Press, 1997.