A New Analysis of Ouyang Xiu and the Dispute over the Posthumous Title of Pu An Yi Raja
The debate over the appropriate posthumous title for Emperor Yingzong of Song's biological father,Pu An Yi Raja,led to a fierce controversy between the ruling faction and the remonstrators.The re-monstrators,based on the principles of Legitimacy of Imperial Power,suggest Yingzong to call Pu An Yi Raja as"Huangbo(皇伯)".The ruling faction represented by Ouyang Xiu,based on his argument on hu-man sentiment,diverged from the traditional Han and Tang interpretations of the classics and developed his own understanding.He interpreted the Yili and suggested that"when someone should be adopted as an heir by another family,they observed mourning rites one level lower when their biological parents passed away",thus advocating for Yingzong to honor his biological father as"Huangkao(皇考)".On the surface,the dispute appeared to have ended with a victory for the ruling faction,but Ouyang Xiu was mistakenly regarded as the primary advocate for the ruling faction in the debate,leading to his rejection by public opinions.Consequently,his political and natural life ended prematurely,making him the greatest victim of the dispute over the posthumous title.Ouyang Xiu and the ruling faction failed to anticipate the uncertain-ty in the direction of the debate,leading to a loss of initiative.Ouyang Xiu and the ruling faction argued that addressing Pu An Yi Raja as"Huangkao(皇考)"or"Qin(亲)"had theoretical and historical precedents,and it aligned with their empathy for Emperor Yingzong,and they wanted to use it to help Yingzong establish psychological security.Ouyang Xiu,as the spokesperson for the ruling faction,due to his high academic confidence and stubborn personality,faced fierce attacks from the remonstrators.
Ouyang Xiudispute over the posthumous titlemisunderstandinghuman relations theory
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