Ji Kang's Theory of Music: Two Interpretations

There are two interpretations of Ji Kang's 稽康 Sheng wu aile lun 聲無哀樂論 (Sound is Without Grief or Joy). The first sees it as a reinterpretation of Confucianism, especially the Liji 禮記 (Book of Rites) and Xunzi's 荀子 understanding of mind (xin 心). The second argues that its aim is to liberate music from Confucian ethical judgment rather than to reinterpret Confucianism in general. In this essay, I critically examine the weakness of both. I argue that the first interpretation fails to understand that Ji Kang's view is a development of Zhuangzi, while the second does not see that it is necessary to reinterpret the Liji and Xunzi in order to free music from Confucian judgment.