Using Numbers to Comprehend the Cosmos: An Analysis of Liu Mu’s Yishu gouyin tu

T oung Pao ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 104 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 294-337
Author(s):  
Douglas Skonicki
Keyword(s):  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Northern Song ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Exegetical Tradition ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractThis article examines the cosmological arguments advanced within Liu Mu’s 劉牧 (n.d.) Yishu gouyin tu 易數鉤隱圖, a short work composed in the 1030s that was dedicated to explaining the meaning of the Yijing. In the Yishu gouyin tu, Liu used combinations of diagrams and text to argue that numbers underlay, and provided the keys to understanding, the development of the cosmos and the creation of the myriad entities that inhabited it. He further asserted that the important role numbers played in the process of creation and transformation was revealed to the ancient sage Fu Xi 伏羲 via two important diagrams, the Hetu 河圖 and Luoshu 洛書. In addition to explicating Liu’s conception of how the numbers of the Hetu and Luoshu informed both cosmological development and the composition of the Yi, this article situates his views within the context of Northern Song thought in an effort to shed light on their larger significance and influence. It argues that Liu played a key role in promoting several ideas that would assume great importance in the mid-eleventh century, including the questioning of the received exegetical tradition, the claim that the dao had a cosmological foundation, and the use of diagrams and numbers to explicate cosmological process.

scholarly journals FRONTIER, FORTIFICATION, AND FORESTATION: DEFENSIVE WOODLAND ON THE SONG–LIAO BORDER IN THE LONG ELEVENTH CENTURY

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-334
Author(s):  
Yuan Julian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Capital City ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Song ◽  
The Creation

ABSTRACTThis article examines the creation, preservation, and destruction of the defensive forest that the Northern Song built in Hebei along the Song–Liao border. Created as a landscape barrier against the Kitan attacks, this forest established the necessary strategic depth between the capital city and the northern frontline of the Song empire to compensate for Kaifeng's geographical vulnerability. While the Song government painstakingly maintained this forest throughout most of the dynasty, Liao troops, Hebei borderland residents, and many Song officials had nonetheless posed incessant challenges to this military forestation project. In 1122/23, at the onset of the war on the Liao to retrieve the Sixteen Prefectures, the Song army removed this borderland forest that blocked their northern expedition. The destruction of this defensive forest, which could have had thwarted attacks from the north, dismantled the strategic depth between Kaifeng and the Hebei borderland and henceforth presaged the fall of Kaifeng to the Jin, the Liao's successor, in a few years. I argue that this strategic depth was not only a physical distance, but also a diplomatic, sociopolitical, and military link that connected the ecology of the Song's northernmost periphery and the fate of the entire empire.

Encountering Ambiguity: Muʿtazilī and Twelver Shīʿī Approaches to the Qur'an's Ambiguous Verses

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tehseen Thaver
Keyword(s):  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Islamic Jurisprudence ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Linguistic Challenges ◽  
Qur'anic Exegesis ◽  
Exegetical Tradition ◽  
Qur'an Commentaries ◽  
Early Islamic

Within the broader discipline of Qur'anic exegesis, the sub-genre of the mutashābihāt al-Qurʾān (the ambiguous verses of the Qur'an) is comprised of works dedicated to the identification and explication of those verses that present theological or linguistic challenges. Yet, the approach, style, and objective of the scholars who have written commentaries on the ambiguous verses are far from monolithic. This essay brings into focus the internal diversity of this important exegetical tradition by focusing on the Qur'an commentaries of two major scholars in fourth/eleventh-century Baghdad, al-Sharīf al-Raḍī (d. 406/1016) and Qāḍī ʿAbd al-Jabbār (d. 415/1025). Al-Raḍī was a prominent Twelver Shīʿī theologian and poet while ʿAbd al-Jabbār was a leading Muʿtazilī theologian during this period; al-Raḍī was also ʿAbd al-Jabbār's student and disciple. Through a close reading of their respective commentaries on two Qur'anic verses, I explore possible interconnections and interactions between Shīʿī and Muʿtazilī traditions of exegesis, and demonstrate that while ʿAbd al-Jabbār mobilised the language of Islamic jurisprudence, al-Raḍī primarily relied on early Islamic poetry and the etymology of the Arabic language. Methodologically, I argue against a conceptual approach that valorises sectarian and theological identity as the primary determinant of hermeneutical desires and sensibilities.

سؤال العلاقة بين الفطرة والشريعة: قراءة معرفية (The Question of the Relationship between Shariah and Human Nature/fitrah: An Epistemological Review)

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-42
Author(s):  
المختار الأحمر
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
Interconnected Systems ◽  
Evolutionary Aspect ◽  
Islamic Thought ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Evolutionary Aspects ◽  
Shed Light

الملخّص يتناول البحث علاقة الفطرة بالشريعة في التفكير الإسلامي، وما تطرحه هذه العلاقة سواء على مستوى بيان الجوانب المتعلقة بخَلْق الإنسان وما فُطِر عليه ابتداء، وهذا البعد يمثّل الجانب التكوني في مفهوم الفطرة، أو على المستوى المتعلق بالشريعة وفطريتها، أي أنها جارية وفق ما يدركه العقل وتشهد به الفطرة، وهذا البعد يمثّل الجانب التشريعي الذي يطرحه مفهوم الفطرة. لقد زخرت أغلب الكتابات بتناول جانبا واحدا مما يتيحه أو يعكسه مفهوم الفطرة، لكن البحث في العلاقة التناسبية بين الفطرة والشريعة، وما يتيحه هذا النظر المتلازم بين المفهومين على مستوى الإمكانات المتعلقة بقدرات الإنسان الفطرية في فهم وتعقّل الخطاب الشرعي والأحكام التكليفية، والوقوف على غاياته ومقاصده، يبقى في حاجة إلى البحث والاستقصاء. ولذلك تأتي هذه الدراسة لتسليط الضوء على الجانب التشريعي والتكويني في علاقة الشريعة بالفطرة، باعتبارهما نظامين متلازمين يتيحان فهم طبيعة الشريعة وأحكامها ومقاصدها من جهة، وتحديد جوهر وماهية الإنسان الفطرية وإمكاناته في تعقّل هذه الشريعة من جهة ثانية.                  الكلمات المفتاحية: الفطرة، الشريعة، الدين، التكاليف، العقل. Abstract This research addresses the relationship between premordial human nature (fitrah) and Islamic law (SharÊÑah) within the frame of Islamic thought, while exploring the questions it raises at two levels. The first level explains the aspects related to the creation of man and what has initially been bestowed upon him, which represents the evolutionary aspect of the concept of fiÏrah. The second level is related to SharÊÑah and its nature, which evolves according to what is percieved by reason and witnessed by fiÏrah; this represents the legislative aspect presented by the concept of fiÏrah. The majority of studies to date address a single aspect of the illustrations of the concept of fiÏrah. However, research on the dialectic relationship between fiÏrah and SharÊÑah and what its relevant concurrent view provides at the level of potentials related to human innate capacities in understanding and realizing SharÊÑah discourse and mandatory provisions as well as understanding its objectives  remains scarce and requires further research and investigation. Therefore, this study intends to shed light on the legislative and evolutionary aspects of the relationship between SharÊÑah and fiÏrah as two interconnected systems that allow for the understanding of the nature of SharÊÑah, its provisions and purposes, as well as identifying the essence of human innate nature and its potential in perceiving SharÊÑah. Keywords: human nature (fiÏrah), Islamic law (SharÊÑah), religious mandates (TakÉlif), religion, intellect (ÑAqal).

scholarly journals Drafting the constitution of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1920)

Balcanica ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 225-244
Author(s):  
Boris Milosavljevic
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
The State ◽  
Legal Scholar ◽  
Active Participant ◽  
Legal Traditions ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
Draft Constitution

The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was internationally recognized during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919-20. Even though there was neither a provisional nor a permanent constitution of the newly-formed state, factually there was a state as well as a system of governance, represented by supreme bodies, the King and the Parliament. Many draft constitutions were prepared by different political parties and notable individuals. We shall focus on the official Draft Constitution prepared during the premiership of Stojan Protic. He appointed the Drafting Committee as a governmental (multi-ethnic) advisory team of prominent legal experts from different parts of the new state consisting of Professors Slobodan Jovanovic (President), Kosta Kumanudi and Lazar Markovic (Serbia), Professor Ladislav Polic (Croatia) and Dr Bogumil Vosnjak (Slovenia). After two months of work, the Committee submitted its draft to the Prime Minister. The leading Serbian legal scholar and president of the committee, Slobodan Jovanovic (1869-1958), was well-acquainted with the details of Austro-Hungarian and German legal traditions. Since he was an active participant and witness of the events that led to the creation of the new state, while also being an objective and critical historian, it is important to shed light on his firsthand account of the emergence of the state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

scholarly journals Las técnicas constructivas en las murallas medievales de Almería

X ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Gurriarán Daza
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Tenth Century ◽  
Rammed Earth ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Typical Scheme ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Middle Ages

Building techniques in the medieval walls of AlmeríaAlmería was one of the most important cities in al-Andalus, a circumstance that was possible thanks to the strength of its port. Its foundation as an urban entity during the Caliphate of Córdoba originated a typical scheme of an Islamic city organized by a medina and a citadel, both walled. Subsequent city’s growths, due to the creation of two large suburbs commencing in the eleventh century, also received defensive works, creating a system of fortifications that was destined to defend the place during the rest of the Middle Ages. In this work we will analyse the construction techniques used in these military works, which cover a wide period from the beginning of the tenth century until the end of the fifteenth century. Although ashlar stone was used in the Caliphate fortification, in most of these constructions bricklayer techniques were used, more modest but very useful. In this way, the masonry and rammed earth technique were predominant, giving rise to innumerable constructive phases that in recent times are being studied with archaeological methodology, thus to know better their evolution and main characteristics. 

The International Space Station

2019 ◽  
pp. 96-113
Author(s):  
Sarah Katharina Germann
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
International Space ◽  
Space Law ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Shed Light

The International Space Station is certainly one of the most astounding achievements of humankind in space. Especially from a legal point of view, the creation of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and its sub-instruments specifically for the ISS was a major success: the IGA was the first grand-scale multi-national legally binding space-related treaty drafted, ratified, and implemented by the major space faring nations since the drafting of the five UN Space Treaties roughly 20 years before. And still today, the legal framework of the ISS is a stand-alone legal system which can serve as model for other missions, as it refines and develops in an innovative way the rules laid out in the five UN Space Treaties and at the same time manages to coordinate and organize management, utilization, and financing between all the partners. This chapter intends to shed light on the complex legal system governing the ISS and to point out the novelties of the IGA-Structure in comparison with the conventional body of international space law.

Twin Wiki Wonders? Wikipedia and Wikibooks as Powerful Tools for Online Collaborative Writing

2011 ◽  
pp. 1078-1097
Author(s):  
Meng-Fen Grace Lin ◽  
Curtis J. Bonk ◽  
Suthiporn Sajjapanroj
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Online Content ◽  
Web Tools ◽  
Single Person ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Shed Light

Web 2.0 technologies empower individuals to contribute thoughts and ideas rather than passively survey online content and resources. Such participatory environments foster opportunities for community building and knowledge sharing, while encouraging the creation of artifacts beyond what any single person could accomplish alone. In this chapter, we investigate the emergence and growth of two of such environments: the highly popular Wikipedia site and its sister project, Wikibooks. Wikipedia has grown out of trends for free and open access to Web tools and resources. While Wikipedians edit, contribute, and monitor distinct pieces of information or pages of documents, Wikibookians must focus on larger chunks of knowledge, including book modules or chapters as well as entire books. Several key differences between these two types of wiki environments are explored. In addition, surveys and interviews, conducted with Wikibookians, shed light on their challenges, frustrations, and successes.

Brazil Reframed

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Eli Lee Carter
Keyword(s):  
Economic Models ◽  
Social Imaginary ◽  
Production Distribution ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Symbolic Construction ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Network Era

This book focuses on these changes through the creation, production, distribution, and consumption of a selection of television and Internet fiction, exploring the new mediascape that has taken root in Brazil since 2011. The objective is not to predict what that mediascape will be in the coming decades but to shed light on the emergence and the consequences of the post-2011 mediascape as a particular conjuncture. Ultimately, I argue that the ongoing transition from the nearly five-decade, TV Globo–dominated Network Era (1968–2011) to the increasingly competitive and fragmented post-2011 mediascape has given way to fundamental changes to the economic models, modes of production, producers, distribution windows, and consumption that have largely defined the Brazilian mediascape since the late 1960s. Such changes, I contend, also have major implications for the symbolic construction of the national social imaginary.

Daoxue Conception of the Song Imperial Temple: Zhu Xi and His Disciples

2021 ◽  
pp. 133-158
Author(s):  
Hiu Yu Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Zhu Xi ◽  
New Learning ◽  
Northern Song

Chapter 6 focuses on the link between the eleventh-century ritual discussions on imperial ancestral sacrifices and the Daoxue conception of the Imperial Temple, as represented by the prominent Daoxue scholar Zhu Xi 朱熹‎ (1130–1200) and some of his best students in ritual scholarship. With a special focus on Zhu Xi’s Yili jingzhuan tongjie儀禮經傳通解‎, the chapter demonstrates how Zhu’s and his students’ perception of the Imperial Temple and relevant ritual ideas were deeply influenced by previous ritual discourses, especially those launched by New Learning scholars in Northern Song ritual debates.

Twin Wiki Wonders? Wikipedia and Wikibooks as Powerful Tools for Online Collaborative Writing

2011 ◽  
pp. 253-272
Author(s):  
Meng-Fen Grace Lin ◽  
Curtis J. Bonk ◽  
Suthiporn Sajjapanroj
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Online Content ◽  
Web Tools ◽  
Single Person ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Shed Light

Web 2.0 technologies empower individuals to contribute thoughts and ideas rather than passively survey online content and resources. Such participatory environments foster opportunities for community building and knowledge sharing, while encouraging the creation of artifacts beyond what any single person could accomplish alone. In this chapter, we investigate the emergence and growth of two of such environments: the highly popular Wikipedia site and its sister project, Wikibooks. Wikipedia has grown out of trends for free and open access to Web tools and resources. While Wikipedians edit, contribute, and monitor distinct pieces of information or pages of documents, Wikibookians must focus on larger chunks of knowledge, including book modules or chapters as well as entire books. Several key differences between these two types of wiki environments are explored. In addition, surveys and interviews, conducted with Wikibookians, shed light on their challenges, frustrations, and successes.

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