Categories in Chinese literature - Original terms

Question

I am reading Sabrina Knight, Chinese Literature, A very short introduction. The book mentions a fourth century division of literature into:

• Classics
• History
• Daoist and Buddhist Masters, Masters of Strategy, etc.
• Belles Lettres

What are the Chinese terms?

Below is the actual quote:

---

The rest is possibly off topic. I believe I can resolve it by web search, if I know the Chinese terms, but it is the reason for the question, so I include it as a side note:

I have trouble understanding the fourth category, since it seems not to include 小說。Would it be lyrics? Poetry? Say 樂府，輔鳥賦, non classic poetry like 楚辭？ The difference between Belles lettres and 小說 seems to be the conveying of the 道. While I understand the significance (at least a little) it is hard for me to tell what the category would include.

Answer 1

since your book is an introduction, i would suggest that the "four main categories" is 經﹒史﹒子﹒集; in sequence:

classics - 經

history - 史

masters - 子

collections of belle lettres - 集

the long explanation: in 漢 dynasty, texts were divided into 6 categories, according to the 七略 (~bc 5):

六藝略﹒諸子略﹒詩賦略﹒兵書略﹒數術略﹒方技略

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/七略

later, in 西晉 (265 - 316), 荀勖 changed the six categories to four, in sequence:

甲部 - 經書
乙部 - 子書 ( masters is the second category)
丙部 - 史書 ( history is the third category)
丁部 - 詩賦

afterward, in 東晉 (317 - 420), "~fourth century", 李充 rearranged the categories to

甲部 - 五經
乙部 - 史記 ( history is the second category)
丙部 - 諸子 ( masters is the third category)
丁部 - 詩賦

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/四部分類法

that, the sequence of 經﹒史﹒子﹒集 is unchanged, till today. next, imo, 詩賦 matched "belle lettres" more than 集, in the last category "collections of belle lettres"

you side note about the fourth category, you want to know the contents of it in which dynasty?

edited.

ok, the internet archive has the book 補晉書藝文志, which was compiled in 清 dynasty. in 卷四﹒丁部集錄 listed all texts / books / publications at that time (from ~p42 of pdf file). you may glimpse what was included in this "fourth category", in 晉 dynasty (265 - 420).

have fun :)

ps: just curious, may i ask, why you learn chinese literary, or it's history in english?

Answer 2

I think it probably means 四部分類法: 經史子集

Answer 3

what are the Chinese terms?

They are 儒，玄，史，文

• Classic (儒學)
• Daoist and Buddhist Masters, (玄學)
• History (史學)
• Belles Lettres (文學)

I have trouble understanding the fourth category, since it seems not to include 小說。Would it be lyrics? Poetry? Say 樂府，輔鳥賦, non classic poetry like 楚辭？

Different time period had different major form of "Belles Lettres" for example: 唐詩, 宋詞. Mostly circulated among the upper class circle.

小說 was considered of lower class, not worthy of included in the 文學 category at the time the category was created.

reference: http://r.ilong.cn/article/detail/id/34663.html

立儒、玄、史、文四学为官学 (established: 1.Classic 2.Metaphysics 3.History 4.Fine Writing, four categories of literature study as the official categories of study)

Update:

I consulted an expert, he wrote:

"The first response was correct-- the four categories refer to 經 (classics), 史 (history), 子 (masters), and 集 (collection of letters). 經 refers to the main theory in Confucianism, and, in contrast, 子 refers to the challenges and defence from individual thinkers. 史 is the official history, and, in contrast, 集 is the supplementary materials, mostly poems that reflect the thinking of the society at the time. 儒玄史文 makes no sense in this context. It is a phrase rarely used in classical Chinese." - Mr.K

My argument was:

"經史子集 are four classifications of all classical books. It is still in use today; 儒玄史文 are categories of studies specifically refer to 南朝四学, and had became obsolete."

I just didn't know for sure that which one the question was referring to. And based on the time difference, it is most likely refer to 四部分類法-- 經史子集