Lin Xiyi: An Exploration into the Shift of Analysis and Interpretation of the Zhuangzi

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This DPhil research project will examine Lin Xiyi's (1193-1271) commentary to a classic of early Chinese thought, the Zhuangzi. My objective is to explore the ways in which Lin's commentary represents key developments in analysis of the text and what this reveals about the craft of commentary. The main research questions are: 1) in what way is Lin's commentary influenced by the religious or philosophical trends that arose during the Song dynasty and how does this background shape Lin's thought distinctive from previous commentators? 2) How does Lin work with literary analysis to explicate the Zhuangzi?Throughout Chinese history, commentaries have been an essential feature of readers' engagement with the classics and a major influence on Western language translations. Despite this, there has been a lack of research into traditional Zhuangzi commentaries, especially outside of Sinophone academia. While good progress has been made on the key early exegete Guo Xiang (253-312), it is only in recent years that scholars, mostly in China, have begun to pay more attention the exegesis of Lin Xiyi. Most research has focused on the influence of Neo-Confucian thought (eg. Liu Sihe 2012) and, to a lesser extent, that of Chan Buddhism (Sun Hong 2003). One paper (Li Jianyong 2007) establishes Lin's literary analysis of the Zhuangzi as an important and promising area of study, while an English language paper (Machek 2010) notes some distinctions between the interpretations of Guo Xiang and Lin Xiyi.On the basis of these studies, my research will explore the craft of commentary. I will examine Lin Xiyi's use of key terms and textual citations in order to understand how important concepts and literary influences shape his interpretation of the Zhuangzi, and how such commentaries reflect the time and culture in which they are written. Through contrasts with earlier commentaries, especially that of Guo Xiang, I will highlight what is most innovative in Lin's work. His expanded use of literary analysis is a case in point; I will assess the level of prominence he gives to such analysis, the range of forms that it takes, and the impact this has on his interpretation of the text.The main method for research will be a close reading of primary texts, especially the Zhuangzi and Lin Xiyi's commentary, but also other texts and commentaries of influence. Analysis of these materials will draw on Western and East Asian academic studies.In studying the influences on Lin's commentary I will use principles established in the tradition-historical methodology of biblical exegesis to assess the degree to which his work corresponds to pre-existing elements of his intellectual world. Within this methodology, the concept history approach will be particularly relevant for assessing his use of key terms. Implementation will be based on data drawn from searches using a system I have developed for the software Scrivener; this enables the use of Regular Expressions to carry out advanced digital searches within a specific corpus of texts.Lin's literary analysis of the Zhuangzi will be explored by first identifying the different forms of analysis present in his work. Reference to literary criticism will be made where useful parallels can be discerned in order to consider the methods and intentions of his approach. These will then be contrasted diachronically, with earlier commentaries, and synchronically, with other commentaries of his time. The use of methodologies of biblical exegesis and literary criticism are valuable as established approaches, effective in assessing influences and approaches to exegesis. However, some caution will be observed in order to avoid viewing his work according to criteria that are not pertinent to his time and place. The intention of this research is to consider Lin Xiyi's commentary from an emic perspective and such methods will be applied to help reveal what is present in his work, and understand it in the context of his own ti