Liu Xiang of the Western Han: A Grand Master of Confucianism and the Ideal of Practical Scholarship

Brief Introduction

Liu Xiang (77 BC – 6 BC), courtesy name Zizheng, was a native of Pei (in modern-day Pei County, Jiangsu Province). He was a renowned classical scholar, bibliographer, and literary figure in the Western Han Dynasty. An important academic during the reigns of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Yuan, he held official posts such as Grand Master of the Palace (Guanglu Daifu) and Imperial Secretary (Shizhong Lang).

Together with his son, Liu Xin, Liu Xiang organized and compiled the imperial court’s book collections, authoring the Bièlù (Recorded Categories), which laid the foundation for Chinese bibliography. In terms of academic philosophy, he advocated for the revival of rites and music and the establishment of the Biyong (Imperial University). He attempted to restore the political ideals of the Zhou Dynasty by reforming classical studies, exerting a profound influence on the development of Confucianism during the Han Dynasty.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Academic Achievements: Collation and Classification

Liu Xiang's most distinguished contribution lies in the organization of literature. He presided over large-scale collation efforts for the national book collections. He did not merely proofread text; he also wrote "prefatory records" (xùlù) to summarize the central themes of each book. This "abstract" format significantly improved the efficiency of book retrieval. Although the Bièlù is now lost, its classificatory thought can be glimpsed through Ban Gu’s Hanshu: Yiwenzhi (Records of Literature in the Book of Han). It established the prototype of the four divisions (Jing, Shi, Zi, Ji: Classics, History, Philosophical Works, and Collections) that would later become standard.

2. Political Proposals: Establishing the Biyong and Promoting Rites and Music

Liu Xiang was not only a scholar but also a reformer. He believed that the corruption of social customs in the mid-to-late Western Han Dynasty stemmed from the lack of moral education through rites and music. Consequently, he strongly urged the court to establish the Biyong (Imperial University) and promote rites and music.

• Biyong: The Imperial Academy of the Son of Heaven during the Western Zhou Dynasty. It symbolized the center communicating with the four directions and was the highest level of institution of learning. Liu Xiang argued for its restoration to cultivate scholars and unify ideology.
• Promoting Rites and Music: By formulating and popularizing rituals and music that adhered to Confucian norms, he aimed to standardize social order and realize the political ideal of becoming "sage within and king without."

3. Stance on Classical Studies: The Bridge Between "Old Text" and "New Text"

Liu Xiang leaned towards the "Old Text" (guwen) faction of classical studies, but he was also proficient in "New Text" (jinwen) classics. He was dedicated to bridging the interpretations of Old and New texts, emphasizing the six classics as the ultimate teachers. He opposed the流行的 divination arts and numerological superstitions (wei-hou) prevalent at the time. His works, such as Xin Xu and Shuo Yuan, extensively cite classical authorities with the aim of promoting orthodox Confucian values.

Connections with the Book of Han (Hanshu)

In Ban Gu’s Hanshu, the biography of Liu Xiang (Liu Xiang Zhuan) is a key text for studying the evolution of Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty.

• Hanshu: Biography of Liu Xiang: This section details Liu Xiang’s memorials to Emperors Cheng and Ai, particularly his proposal to "establish the Biyong." The text describes how he cited the Shijing (Book of Songs) and the Zhouli (Rites of Zhou) to argue for the urgency of restoring ritual systems. This part not only displays Liu Xiang’s personal talent but also reflects the efforts of the scholarly gentry to check the power of imperial relatives and eunuchs through cultural reconstruction during a period of political turmoil.
• Hanshu: Records of Literature: Based on Liu Xiang’s Bièlù, Ban Gu compiled the Qi Lue (Seven Categories), which was eventually integrated into the Records of Literature. The introduction of this section explicitly states that "Liu Xiang collated the books..." confirming Liu Xiang as the pioneer of Han Dynasty literature organization. The classification system of the Records of Literature directly influenced book classification methods for thousands of years and is a core text for understanding the traditional Chinese knowledge structure.
• Historical Context: Through Liu Xiang’s life, the Hanshu illustrates the process by which Confucianism evolved from Emperor Wu’s exclusive elevation of Confucianism to its gradual institutionalization during the reigns of Emperors Ai and Ping. Although Liu Xiang’s proposal to "establish the Biyong" was not fully realized in his time, it laid the theoretical foundation for the later establishment of the Bai Lu Guan (White Deer Hall) and the Imperial University in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Conclusion

Liu Xiang is a pivotal figure connecting the pre-Qin classics with later Confucian institutional structures. His academic work preserved a vast amount of precious literature, while his political ideals embodied the Confucian spirit of "self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and social peace." Through the Hanshu, we can observe how Liu Xiang maintained the right path of scholarship amidst a turbulent political environment, becoming the last master of classical studies with widespread influence in the Western Han Dynasty.