Die Ordnung des Politischen und die Ordnung des Herzens

The topic of my dissertation is the political and philosophical
thought of Lü Zuqian (1137-1181), one of the key players in the
history of the "True Way Learning" (Daoxue) in Southern Song China
and a close associate of Zhu Xi (1130-1200). Focusing on core
concepts in Lü’s writings like self-cultivation, imperial
sovereignty, law, rites, institutions and reform, this study
advances a new interpretation of Lü Zuqian's modes of thinking. The
comparison of Lü Zuqian's political ideas to those of
contemporaries such as Zhu Xi, Zhang Shi (1133-1180), Lu Jiuyuan
(1139-1193), Chen Liang (1143-1194) and Ye Shi (1150-1223)
clarifies the political language and the political engagements of
Daoxue thinkers. This case study tries to explain the fundamental
nature of political Daoxue discourse between 1160 and 1180 and to
shed new light on the interpretation of "Neo-Confucian" thought in
general.