Zhan Ruoshui

Zhan Ruoshui (Chinese: 湛若水; pinyin: Zhàn Ruòshuǐ; Wade–Giles: Chan Joshui, 1466–1560) was a Chinese philosopher, educator and a Confucian scholar.

Zhan Ruoshui
湛若水
Personal details
Born	(1466-11-20)20 November 1466 Zengcheng, Guangdong, Ming Dynasty
Died	16 May 1560(1560-05-16) (aged 93) Panyu, Guangdong, Ming Dynasty
Chinese name
Chinese	湛若水
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhàn Ruòshuǐ Wade–Giles Chan4 Jo4-shui3 Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zaam3 Joek6-seoi2

Biography

Zhan was born in Zengcheng, Guangdong. He was appointed the president of Nanjing Guozijian (南京國子監, the Imperial Nanjing University) in 1524. He was later appointed the Ming dynasty Minister of Rites (禮部, which mainly administers national ceremony, sacrifice, imperial examination, education, diplomacy, etc.), Minister of Personnel (吏部), and then Minister of War (兵部) at Nanjing.

As a scholar, Zhan is famous for mind theory (a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of the mind and its relation to the body and the external world). He was also a famous educator. During his life, he founded or jointly founded more than 40 Shuyuan (書院, Confucian academies).

Zhan was a lifelong friend of the philosopher, general, and administrator Wang Yangming. They shared an appreciation of Lu Xiangshan idealism (xinxue), Daoism, and Buddhism, although their intellectual paths ultimately diverged.