ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History, Literature and Art

Ran Yong 冉雍 or Zhonggong 仲弓

Jan 12, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Ran Yong 冉雍, courtesy name Zhonggong 仲弓, was one of the ten wise disciples of Confucius (Kong men shi zhe 孔門十哲). He was known for his virtuous conduct and was an important representative of Confucius towards the rulers of several states. He was able to obtain the post of counsellor (zai 宰) to the regents of Lu 魯, the family Ji 季氏.

Confucius himself estimated Ran Yong as able to be a ruler. Zhonggong stressed that it was important that a ruler was a man cherishing in himself in a reverential feeling of the necessity of attention to business. The philosopher Xunzi 荀子 elevated Ran Yong to the same level as Confucius himself, calling him a great scholar (daru 大儒).

Sources:
An Zuozhang 安作璋, ed. (2004). Lunyu cidian 論語辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), 130.
Liu Weihua 劉蔚華, ed. (1990). Shijie zhexuejia cidian 世界哲學家辭典 (Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe),21.
Jiaoyu da cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 《教育大辭典》編纂委員會, ed. (1992). Jiaoyu da cidian 教育大辭典, Part 9, Zhongguo gudai jiaoyu cidian 中國古代教育史 (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 166.
Yin Yongqian 殷永千 (1998). "Ran Yong 冉雍", in Zhao Jihui 趙吉惠, Guo Houan 郭厚安, ed. Zhongguo ruxue cidian 中國儒學辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe), 9.
Xu Xinghai 徐興海, Liu Jianli 劉建麗, ed. (2000). Rujia wenhua cidian 儒家文化辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), 140.