Wang Chong was an eminent thinker in the Eastern Han dynasty in China, during which religion was an integral part of day-to-day politics. This religious-political context was similar to that experienced by Lucian in R...Wang Chong was an eminent thinker in the Eastern Han dynasty in China, during which religion was an integral part of day-to-day politics. This religious-political context was similar to that experienced by Lucian in Rome during the second century A.D. By comparing their religious criticisms and personal experiences, this paper uncovers the scale of intellectual liberty during the ancient Han era, a matter of interest and debate among historians. This paper argues that the intellectual liberty that Wang Chong enjoyed was very similar to that experienced by Lucian in ancient Rome as part of the Second Sophistic, and thus, this paper offers insights into the degree of freedom of thought enjoyed by intellectuals of the Eastern Han clynastv in China.展开更多
文摘Wang Chong was an eminent thinker in the Eastern Han dynasty in China, during which religion was an integral part of day-to-day politics. This religious-political context was similar to that experienced by Lucian in Rome during the second century A.D. By comparing their religious criticisms and personal experiences, this paper uncovers the scale of intellectual liberty during the ancient Han era, a matter of interest and debate among historians. This paper argues that the intellectual liberty that Wang Chong enjoyed was very similar to that experienced by Lucian in ancient Rome as part of the Second Sophistic, and thus, this paper offers insights into the degree of freedom of thought enjoyed by intellectuals of the Eastern Han clynastv in China.
