Wang Yangming’s neo-Confucian school of mind and the growth of ancient Chinese popular novel

Abstract

Wang Yangming’s theory of mind serves as the pre-condition for the rise of the Chinese popular novel. Wang’s theory helps to change the traditional ideal of despising the popular novels and encourages the scholars to get involved in the creation and criticism of this fictional art. Wang’s theory also provides the theoretical basis for the novelists to record the town talks of the common people. In addition, with the influence of Wang’s theory, the emphasis of the novel shifts from the story-telling to the character-portrayal.

Key words： Wang Yangming; Neo-Confucian School of Mind; ancient Chinese popular novel