A Tripartite Self

Abstract This book argues for a divergence in early China between two views of the self. In one view, the heart–mind (xin心) and spirit (shén神) are closely aligned and rule the body as a rule rules a state. In the other, the person is tripartite. Mind and spirit are independent, and in some cases body and spirit align in opposition to mind. Chapter 1 surveys the Classical Chinese semantic field for terms for body, mind, spirit, and soul, and the psychological and physical faculties associated with them. Chapter 2 examines the relations of body, heart–mind, and spirit in the Shijing詩經 (Book of Odes). Chapter 3 uses the Analects, Mencius, and Xunzi to describe a (dominant) mind-centered view in which mind and spirit together rule the body. Chapter 4 draws on the Guanzi, Zhuangzi, and Huainanzi to describe a spirit-centered, tripartite view in which spirit is largely independent of the mind. Chapter 5 describes the interactions of mind, body, and emotions in two texts excavated from Guodian 郭店: “Five Kinds of Action” (Wuxing五行) and “Human Nature Comes from the Mandate” (Xingzi mingchu性自命出). Chapter 6 examines body, mind, and spirit in medical texts, especially the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Huangdi neijing). It describes the heart (xin) as an organ of the body, but also focuses on the “storage” of psychological faculties such as spirit, intentions (zhi志), or awareness (yi意) in other organs.