Traditional Oriental Philosophy -- Yen-Li School of Confucianism

As one of the traditional philosophies, Oriental Philosophy is filled with mysteries, so people may not be familiar with the core ideas behind it. The primary goal of this course is to introduce you to the elite thoughts of Traditional Oriental Philosophy – Yen Li School of Confucianism, which is also the inherited founding principle of our Sunshine Elite Programs.

Yan Yuan (Yen Yüan)—born April 27, 1635 in Zhili (now Hebei) province, China, and died September 30, 1704 in Zhili province—literary name Yan Xijai, was the Chinese founder of the pragmatic empirical school of Confucianism as opposed to the speculative neo-Confucian philosophy that had dominated China since the 11th century.

Yan put his educational theory into practice when he became director of the Zhangnan Academy in 1696. His curriculum included mathematics, geography, military tactics and strategy, archery, and wrestling; all in addition to history and the Confucian Classics. Yan’s writings—along with those of his most eminent student, Li Gong (1659–1733)—became the major works of a new philosophical movement known as the Yan-Li School. 

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