A Comprehensive Study Of The Theory Of Seclusion In The Inner And Outer Chapters Of Ge Hong’s Baopuzi

Based on the Inner and Outer Chapters of Baopuzi,this paper systematically discusses Ge Hong’s theory of seclusion.Ge Hong was a famous Daoist of the Jin Dynasty,and also an important person in the history of Daoism.His most representative works include the Baopuzi,the Shenxian zhuan and the Zhouhou beiji fang.Previous scholars have discussed Ge Hong and his theory of seclusion,but their analyses still contain various problems: for example,they focus only on either the Confucian or the Daoist perspective,do not explain clearly enough Ge Hong’s paradigm,or discuss his theory without the necessary accuracy.Consequently,this study mainly discusses the following four aspects: the origin of early seclusion and its ideological evolution;the background of the birth of Ge Hong’s theory of seclusion;the main content of Ge Hong’s theory of seclusion;a brief evaluation of the theory.Through the systematic study of Ge Hong’s approach to hermitism,this paper proves that he was both a Confucian and Taoist scholar,and that his ideal comprised success in personal realization and the achievement of immortality as well as in governing the world.At the same time,he became a master of the theory of seclusion by producing a theoretical summary of China’s long-standing hermitic culture.