“Interpretation of Voidness and Fullness” and “Interpretation of Loftiness and Cleanliness”: Li Zhi’s Essays on the Qualities of Human Character

The paper continues the research of the chapter “Diverse Writings” (Za shu 雜述) of the famous “Book to Burn” (Fen shu 焚書), opus magnum of iconoclastic late Ming thinker Li Zhi (李贄, 1527–1602), and presents the first Russian translations of Li Zhi’s essays on qualities of human character: “Interpretation of Voidness and Fullness” (Xu shi shuo 虛實說) and “Interpretation of Loftiness and Cleanliness” (Gao jie shuo 高潔說). In these writings the thinker makes accent on the importance of real, not only nominal possession of virtues as well as of the ability to reconsider one’s own wrong views. He also protests against the hypocrisy and prejudice and puts forward the genuineness as a criteria of what makes the difference between ordinary people and a gentleman. The essays provide a bright reflection of the core features of Li Zhi’s philosophical views, such as oppositional authentism, naturalistic dualism and the synthesis of Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian elements. The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.