The Talent of Shu: Qiao Zhou and the Intellectual World of Early Medieval Sichuan (Chinese Philosophy and Culture)

The Talent of Shu reconstructs the intellectual world of early medieval Sichuan through a critical biography of Qiao Zhou, a noted classicist, historian, and official of Shu-Han. Countering conceptions of Sichuan as an intellectual backwater, author J. Michael Farmer provides an analytical narrative history of the significant intellectual and scholarly activity in the region during the late second through third centuries CE. Qiao Zhou stands as an apt figure to represent the intellectual world of third-century Sichuan. An heir to a long-standing regional intellectual tradition, he was trained in political prophesy, canonical studies, and ancient history, and in true Confucian fashion, employed these skills in the service of the state. While some of Qiao’s scholarship, as well as his political engagement, was conservative, he also stands as an innovator in the fields of canonical and historical criticism and local history. As such, he embodies not only the scholarly tradition of Sichuan, but also the intellectual transitions of the age. Contents 9 List of Illustrations 11 Preface 13 Acknowledgments 15 Terms and Conventions 17 Introduction 21 1 The Intellectual World of Early Sichuan 27 2 The Early Life of Qiao Zhou 51 3 Scholarship and the State 65 4 Critical Approaches to the Canon 95 5 Critical Approaches to Ancient History 115 6 New Approaches to Local History 141 Epilogue 165 Chronology: The Life of Qiao Zhou 177 Notes 179 Bibliography 235 Index 259 J. Michael Farmer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 215-237) And Index.