顔之推小論

Abstract

Yen Chih-t'ui (531-90?), author of the Yen-shih chia-hsun 顔氏家訓, who belonged to the Liang aristocracy, moved to the territory of the Northern Dynasty as a result of the great disturbances on the closing days of Liang. In his work we find his self-importance as a Southern Dynasty literati and, simultaneously, his criticisms on the Southern Dynasty aristocracy. The latter are, for example, expressed in his mentioning of lazy aristocratic life, political impotence, and diletantism in learning. Though his adverse attitude toward the aristocracy might have been partly due to his rather slight contact with the Southern Dynasty aristocracy, this was largely caused by his own ordeals resulted from his moving to the north. Such circumstances seems to have led him to expose and criticize the weaknesses of those people whose prestige depended on noble lineage, and to give the highest value to the lives of those who devoted themselves to learning. In the thought of Yen Chih-t'ui learning meant how to make good government.