主編:詹石窗
出版:香港蓬瀛仙館
ISSN 1728-7642

Daoism Studies ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (1): 28-38.

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A Survey on the Composition and the Contents of Master Incompetent

Qi Yin   

  • Online:2021-06-10 Published:2021-08-23
  • About author:Qi Yin,PhD, Sichuan University, Institute of Taoism and Religious Culture; Research Direction: Chinese Daoism; Address: Institute of Taoism and Religious Culture, Sichuan University, No. 24, South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Postcode: 610064; Email: qiyin2014@foxmail.com.

Abstract: Master Incompetent (Wuneng Zi 無能子) is a philosophical work written by anonymous author during the Tang dynasty, and has been categorized as a Daoist work by various Literature and Art Records. Its core of this philosophical thought is the reasoning of nature and the end of life. The content of the book is slightly ritualistic and religious, but outside worldly affairs, and talks a lot about the absence of nature and the absence of desire for life. The book's theory of cosmogenesis is a distinctive style of its own, influencing and shaping Master Incompetent's unique socio-political and worldly thinking. This article focuses on the cosmogenesis theory of the book Master Incompetent, and briefly discusses the qualities and connotations of its theory of cosmogenesis of “letting nature take its course” by comparing it to other theories of “air (qi) generating everything”. In addition, this article also discusses the number of chapters of Master Incompetent.

Key words: Master Incompetent, Cosmogenesis theory, Air (qi) generating everything, Letting nature take its course