Heaven, Earth, and Sages in Chinese Late Antiquity

During the second through fourth centuries, a complex set of debates developed over the nature of antiquity. Who were the ancient sages? Are they a thing of the past? Is it possible for new sages to arise now? Professor Puett’s goal in this paper will be to explore why these debates developed, how they progressed over the course of the late Eastern Han through the Eastern Jin dynasties, and what implications this debate had for later Chinese history.