🔎【Free to participate. Physical courses and online courses】《Lectures at Su Shu Lou in Qian Mu’s Former Residence》 – History and Life Series: “Scholars and Officials: Biographies of Yuan Ang and Yuan Cuo. Part 1”, Professor Jiang Yitai, June 21, 2015
🚪Registration website (welcome to register/on-site and online simultaneously):
https://www.beclass.com/rid=294ff3368030d8987aaa
Yuan Ang and Ni Cuo, two famous officials of the Western Han Dynasty, reflected two completely different political personalities in their careers. Yuan Ang was good at observing people's words and expressions, and was well versed in the subtleties of human nature and the balance of power. His political judgment was very sharp. He could both speak out and give advice. Ni Cuo, on the other hand, had outstanding political foresight and reform ideals, but his upright and harsh character made him despise the human relations of political operations, which eventually ignited the fire of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.
It is no accident that the Biography of Yuan Ang and Ni Cuo puts these two people with very different political ideologies in the same biography. For the Han Dynasty, Yuan Ang and Ni Cuo were both loyal and righteous men, but their personal friendship was incompatible. When Ni Cuo pushed for the reduction of the feudal system, which led to the rebellion of Wu and Chu, Ni Cuo still tried to take the opportunity to retaliate against Yuan Ang at the critical moment, falsely accusing him of intending to rebel, which showed his narrow-mindedness. At the same time, Yuan Ang suggested killing Ni Cuo to calm the situation. Although it was a politically realistic consideration, it also reflected his moral gray area.
The narrative of "Records of the Grand Historian" here is quite complex. Sima Qian did not simply classify the two as loyal or treacherous ministers, but described their choices with complex strokes, neither completely denying their political judgments nor covering up their moral flaws. Here, we see a recurring theme that spans ancient and modern times: political conflicts, in addition to the tension between good and evil, system and human feelings, ideals and reality, ultimately often come down to the complexity of human nature. The tragic endings of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo, who ended up in the same place by different paths - Chao Cuo was beheaded for reducing the power of the feudal lords, and Yuan Ang was assassinated for making enemies with others because of his advice - just reflect the unpredictable cruel nature of human entanglements.
The story of Yuan Ang and Ni Cuo is not only a political struggle more than 2,000 years ago, but also a mirror reflecting life. How should we choose between adhering to ideals and facing reality, and how should we deal with the complexity and subtlety of human feelings? This biography does not provide a simple answer, but by revealing the limitations and blind spots of human nature, it enables people to understand the wisdom in it. Qian Mu's former residence sincerely invites everyone to delve into the life trajectories of Yuan Ang and Ni Cuo and explore our own way of dealing with the world in the vivid lectures of Professor Jiang Yitai, which are full of historical presence and humanistic care.
📆Event time: June 21, 2025 (Saturday), 14:10 – 16:00
🏡Event location: Classroom C508, 5th Floor, Qinpu Building, Boai Campus, Taipei City University (No. 1, Aiguo West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City), online courses
👨🏫Activity Speaker: Teacher Jiang Yitai
🔔Activity fee: free
🚀Online course information:
After the course starts, the live broadcast URL will be announced on the "Qian Mu Former Residence YouTube Channel" and the "Qian Mu Former Residence FB Fan Page". Everyone is welcome to leave comments and discuss!
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# Historical Records # Biographies of Yuan Ang and Pi Cuo
#Yuan Ang#Chao Cuo#Chao Cuo
# Emperor Wen of Han # Emperor Jing of Han
# The Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms # The Reduction of the vassal states
# Political Reform # Political Struggle
# Sima Qian # Han Li # Scholars and Li
# Jiang Yitai # Su Shulou Lecture Hall
# free activities # Chinese history
# Former Residence of Qian Mu # Online Course
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🔎【Free to participate. Physical courses and online courses】《Lectures at Su Shu Lou in Qian Mu’s Former Residence》 – History and Life Series: “Scholars and Officials: Biographies of Yuan Ang and Yuan Cuo. Part 1”, Professor Jiang Yitai, June 21, 2015
