Chapter 2 of The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy's Unsung Women -- "Ban Zhao"

 

      The Philosopher Queens by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting reveals the mostly unheard of history and ideas of female philosophers throughout history, ranging from enigmatic figures like Diotima to early feminist thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir. The chapter about Ban Zhao was written by Dr. Eva Kit Wah Man, who has a PhD in Philosophy and Chinese Studies.

     Before we talk about Ban Zhao, who is the focus of Chapter 2 in the book, I want to emphasize how important books like this are. Not only does it shed light on the ideas of women who seemed to be silenced or outright erased by history, it shows us more ideas that could serious impact our way of thinking and living our lives-- just like the ideas that the "official" and "important" philosophers gave us.

     Thank you all for reading this, and thank you for a good semester, Dr. Oliver!

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    The book describes Ban Zhao as "perhaps the greatest intellectual woman in ancient Chinese history." (Man 15). It is hard to disagree when you learn of her accomplishments throughout her life. (c. 45-120 CE)

     Ban Zhao contributed heavily to the of the Book of the Later Han, referring to the Han Dynasty of China (c. 25-220 CE), eventually finishing it. Emperor He at the time recognized her intellectual talent and ordered her to complete the book after her father and brother died while writing it.

     Not only was she an exceptional historian, she was also a prolific writer in general.

     She wrote narrative poems, eulogies, arguments, commentaries, elegies and essays until she passed away in her old age. (Man 16). All of this while she gave guidance in manners and virtue to the palace concubines and empress.

 

      Probably her best remembered work was Lessons for Women (Nü Jie), a guide mainly for the upper class women of China concerning how they should conduct themselves in society and in their families. Each chapter in this "survival guide" covered concepts like humility, husband and wife, respect and caution, womanly qualities, wholehearted devotion, implicit obedience and harmony with younger brothers and sisters-in-law. (Man 17)

 

     Now, looking at those subjects might make you feel like Ban Zhao was a self-deprecating misogynist. That's what I thought at first, too.

    But if you think about the society she lived in at the time...Ancient China...patriarchal...hostile environments towards women...could she really have afforded to be a feminist? At least a feminist by today's standards? 

     I truly think her teachings probably saved several women's lives, especially since most of them were derived from her own experiences as a woman and wife. 

     She helped prepare women for married life, preserving her own safety and peace by being a "peaceful" and "docile" wife. This relates directly to her description of the relationship between a man and a woman:

"Yang's quality is hard and Yin's application is soft; men are valued for their strength while women are praised for their weakness." (Percepts [Lessons] for Women, Chapter 3).

 

 

 

     This is a directly Daoist and Confucianist principle, subjugating women as "weaker" and "inferior" to men. The Daoist principle of Wu Wei (or non-action) contributed to Ban Zhao's teachings of peace and submission, as well. 

 

 

 (I thought this video explained the different ideologies involved pretty well.)

 

 

    She also urged women to "choose [their] words carefully, and utter not vile words. Speak only at the appropriate moment. Avoid offending others." (Precepts [Lessons] for Women, Chapter 4)

    This piece of guidance would have been helpful for women in hostile homes, such as their husband's family's. Ban Zhao explained that "disrespect, accusations, quarrels and overt confrontation were inevitable, especially if a wife was not as submissive as she "needed" to be. Yin was some of the only protection a woman had in that society.

    The overall idea for these women was "if you don't resist or speak your mind, they won't have a good reason to harm you."

 

    Also, I found out that there is an opera dedicated to the events and legacy of Ban Zhao. I found this news article that announced that China National Peking Opera Company would be premiering "The Tribute to the Female Historian" Dec. 21, 2024. But then it said that the opera had already been staged as Yueju and Kunqu Opera (yes, there are several different forms of Chinese opera). 

     I could only find an adaptation of the story as Kunqu Opera, which I learned is the oldest form of Chinese opera still performed today.

    

 

 

 "The newly staged Kunqu opera "Ban Zhao" is a large-scale historical play performed by the Shanghai Kunqu Troupe in 2001. The play skillfully and harmoniously combines a rigorous historical perspective, a meticulous dramatic vision, and a splendid literary outlook. It depicts the extraordinary experiences of the talented woman Ban Zhao in compiling the "Book of Han," using the brushstrokes and thinking of the era to reveal the tragic and poignant inner world of scholars. The play won the Script Award at the 14th China Cao Yu Drama Awards."

 

 (This is what the description of the video translated to.)

      

    To conclude, I want to restate my opinion of her teachings not being oppressive for women at the time. She guided her "daughters" the best she could based on what she had observed as a woman and wife in Chinese society and likely helped many of them to survive in their homes.

    Thank goodness that not every women in our society needs to worry about their own families like this anymore. But that isn't to say that I think Ban Zhao's guidance is irrelevant. On a basic level, her Daoist virtues encourage people to "follow the flow of life" and to "look within" for self-improvement. I can't help but be reminded of Greek stoicism and the concept of "not worrying over what you cannot control" or "controlling your reactions." 

     I really enjoyed learning about Ban Zhao both from the book and outside of it! I'll definitely have to make some time to watch the opera based on her story, too. 

    Thank you!