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Li Zhi

Type Figure Region China Time c. 1527–1602 Also known as Courtesy name Zhuowu、Styled Lay Buddhist of Wenling、Li Zhuowu

Li Zhi (c. 1527–1602), courtesy name Zhuowu, styled Lay Buddhist of Wenling, a native of Quanzhou, Fujian, was a heterodox Ming thinker and literary …

Timeline

  1. 1601Tongzhou · BeijingIn the 29th year of Wanli, Li Zhi resided at Luhe in Tongzhou, continuing to expand and annotate the Sequel to the Book of Burning, attacking false Daoist learning with a sharp pen and advocating the childlike heart and liberation of individuality. His writings circulated widely among scholars, drawing ever stronger hostility from conservative officials.
  2. 1602Tongzhou · BeijingIn spring of the 30th year of Wanli, supervising secretary Zhang Wenda memorialized impeaching Li Zhi for "deluding and disordering the realm," and the court ordered his arrest. Li Zhi was seized at Tongzhou and imprisoned, dying there in May at the age of seventy-six. His works were later proscribed, but his thought's influence was profound, making him an important representative of the late Ming enlightenment current.

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