並列篇名 |
Martial Arts Achievement (wugong), Study (wuxue), Skills (wuyi), and Practitioners (wuxia): Trends in Practicing Martial Arts and Interactions beyond their Social Strata among Literati during the Ming Period |
英文摘要 |
Starting in the mid-Ming period of tumultuous state affairs, Chinese literati who were concerned about issues of the state launched activities related to warfare debates. This paper aims to discuss this topic from three aspects: social history, history of mentalities and history of culture (particularly knowledge). The social atmosphere and circumstances under which these activities took place are the first to be examined, along with the social characters and cultural meanings of such activities. Secondly, by looking into the world of Chinese literati, the mentalities behind practicing martial arts are to be discussed, namely the realistic intentions, emotional investment and life aspirations behind these activities. Lastly, looking from the perspective of the social history of knowledge, this paper examines where literati got the interest and knowledge to learn martial arts from and discusses how they place warfare and martial arts in the context of knowledge, particularly the forms of expression developed and the perception towards this knowledge (or skill). |