One of the particular features of Zuozhuan is the prominent figure of the ‘noble man’ who across the 255 years covered in the text delivers some ninety evaluative comments on the narrative, on the behaviour of historical actors and events, and occasionally also on the Chunqiu text. These comments are rich in both Shijing quotations and references to the ritual order (li). The ‘noble man’ is not a historical figure; he is staged as the exemplary reader of history and historiography through the cultural and political ideals of the fourth-century BCE Zuozhuan compilers.

Join us as Professor Martin Kern speaks about ‘Quotation, Commentary, and the Ritual Order: Staging the ‘Noble Man’ in Zuozhuan’.

Watch the full session here: