Zigong and the Identity of the Yan and Meng Schools

Abstract

This 2007 working paper (with material added in 2023) explores the role of the Confucian disciple Zigong in early texts and the historical profile of Zigong derived from them. Although not the most prominent of Confucius's disciples, the paper notes Zigong's pervasive textual presence, the unusual role he plays in some texts, and his unique political and cultural profile in considering how the historical Zigong may have become a pivotal figure in the emergence of competing lineages of early Confucian thought. The analysis relies upon core texts, such as the Lunyu and Zuozhuan, as well as some excavated Warring States texts first transcribed and published in the 21st century.