The Last Campaigns of Wang Yangming

AbstractGiven his grand humanistic vision, how should one explain Wang Yangming's (Wang Shouren; 1472-1529) deep engagements in borderland warfare? What did he think he was doing, and how should one place his approaches in the broader contexts of the intellectual and political discourses of mid-Ming China? Focusing on Wang's activities in the southern province of Guangxi in 1528 (particularly his "pacification" of the native domain of Tianzhou as well as his military campaign against the "Yao bandits" in the Rattan Gorge area), this essay explains not only how Wang dealt with the perceived problems of the "non-Chinese" (man, yi, etc.) but also how his approaches should be understood in terms of the inner logic of his thoughts as well as the intellectual and political debates of his time. Étant donné sa noble vision humaniste, comment expliquer que Wang Yangming (Wang Shouren, 1479-1529) ait pu s'engager à fond dans des guerres frontalières? Comment envisageait-il ses propres actions, et comment comprendre son approche dans le contexte plus large du discours intellectuel et politique au milieu des Ming? En se concentrant sur les activités de Wang Yangming dans la province méridionale du Guangxi en 1528 (plus particulièrement la façon dont il "pacifia" la principauté aborigène de Tianzhou, et sa campagne armée contre les "bandits Yao" de la Gorge du Rotin), l'article explique non seulement comment Wang abordait les problèmes des "non Chinois" (les man, yi, etc.) tels qu'ils étaient perçus, mais aussi comment son approche doit être comprise en fonction de la logique propre de sa pensée, ainsi que des débats intellectuals et politiques de son temps.