The Issue of Authorship in Early Chinese Classics

Abstract

The authorship of early Chinese classics is a highly complex issue, marked by the absence of specific authors, ambiguous records of authorship, the confusion between professional titles and authors’ alternate names, and the individual attribution of collective writting. This can be attributed to two primary factors: First, the writing system and authoring tradition in early China differed significantly from those of later periods; second, the consciousness of individual authorship had not yet fully developed. This situation represents a unique cultural phenomenon in early China that demands a comprehensive understanding. It is essential to abandon the later ages’ conception of authorship and instead integrate the complexities surrounding the creation of early Chinese classics with the diversity of authorship. In doing so, we can establish a dynamic view of authorship that aligns with the actual formation of the classics and reveal the role and significance of these authors in the creation of classics and the broader construction of Chinese culture.

Keywords

early Chinese classics / pre-Qin period / collective writing

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