The Disenchantment of Hell and the Emergence of Self-Conscious Individuality: Examining Su Shi’s Philosophy of Disposition

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article offers a provocative and original perspective on the advent of individual self-consciousness during the Song dynasty. It traces the evolution of the concept of "hell" in traditional pre-Song philosophy and cosmology, and contrasts this outlook with the more modern outlook that emerged during the Song period, partly due to the introduction of Buddhism into China and the consequent need to integrate these imported Buddhist ideas with the indigenous Chinese worldviews of Confucianism and Daoism. This article elucidates the various ways in which the poet, essayist, and public intellectual Su Shi was a key innovator in the process of reconciling the Buddhist worldview with more traditional Chinese thought. Indeed, Su Shi emerges as an important figure in the emergence of a distinctively "modern" worldview that encompasses both ancient Chinese cosmology and individual self-consciousness. The argument of this article is lucid, well-detailed, and persuasive. I recommend that it be accepted for publication.

I have three minor suggestions to the author(s) for revision:

In the title of this article, omit the word "the" before the word "Hell." The expression "the Hell" is not consistent with standard English usage. The revised title should read: "The Disenchantment of Hell and the Emergence of Self-Conscious Individuality...."

In line 98, the phrase "earthly government" is not appropriate to the context, since the afterlife is not subject to human governance. Substitute the phrase "Earth Prefecture" (previously used in line 80) as a more appropriate way of expressing this concept. 

In line 190, omit the final colon (:) and substitute a period (.) at the end of this sentence.

These suggestions for revision should not be considered mandatory and should be left to the discretion of the author(s).

Author Response

Thank you very much for your detailed and constructive feedback. We have made the necessary revisions based on the three issues you raised, and have also made substantial changes to the paper in response to the comments from other reviewers. Once again, we sincerely appreciate your patience.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Clarify the Research Methodology: The paper lacks a clear description of the research methodology employed. It is essential to explicitly state how you selected and analyzed the works of Su Shi and other relevant sources. For example, did you conduct a comprehensive text analysis of all his works related to the topic or only focused on a few representative ones? How did you ensure the objectivity and reliability of your interpretations? Without a clear methodology, the validity of your arguments becomes questionable.
2. Deepen the Analysis of Su Shi's Works: While you have mentioned some of Su Shi's poems and prose, the analysis seems rather superficial. You need to dig deeper into the specific language, imagery, and themes in his works to provide a more detailed and convincing account of how they reflect his philosophical thoughts on the afterlife and individuality. For instance, in the analysis of "Jiangchengzi·Remembering My Wife on the Night of the 20th Day of the First Month of the Bingyin Year", a more in-depth exploration of the emotional and philosophical nuances in each line could strengthen the connection between the poem and your central arguments.
3. Expand the Comparison with Other Thinkers: The comparison between Su Shi and Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism is a crucial aspect of the paper, but it needs to be expanded. You should not only mention the differences but also analyze the potential reasons for these differences in a more comprehensive manner. Additionally, it would be beneficial to compare Su Shi's ideas with other relevant thinkers or philosophical schools in the same period to further highlight the uniqueness of his thought. This could involve exploring whether there were any similar or opposing views among his contemporaries and how Su Shi's ideas interacted with the broader intellectual context.
4. Provide More Historical and Cultural Context: Although the paper has provided some background information on the development of Chinese thought regarding the afterlife, it could be enhanced. You could incorporate more details about the social, political, and cultural changes during the Song Dynasty and how these factors influenced Su Shi's thinking. For example, the impact of the political turmoil he experienced, such as the factional strife and his exile, on his philosophical exploration should be more thoroughly examined. This would help to situate his ideas more firmly within the historical context and make the argument more robust.
5. Strengthen the Logical Structure: The current logical structure of the paper seems a bit disjointed. You need to ensure a smoother flow of ideas from one section to another. For example, the transition from the discussion of the pre-Song afterlife concepts to Su Shi's spiritual journey could be made more seamless. Each section should build upon the previous one and lead logically to the next, with clear connections and signposts for the reader. This would make the overall argument more coherent and easier to follow.
6. Consider Alternative Interpretations: In the paper, you present your own interpretations of Su Shi's works and ideas, but it would be more convincing if you also considered and addressed possible alternative interpretations. This shows that you have thoroughly explored the topic and are able to defend your views against other possible perspectives. By engaging with different interpretations, you can further strengthen the credibility of your own arguments.
7. Quantify and Qualify Your Claims: Some of the claims in the paper are rather general and lack specific evidence or quantification. For example, when stating that Su Shi's thought represents a "modern" individuality, it would be helpful to provide more specific criteria or examples to support this claim. You could also compare his ideas with modern philosophical concepts more explicitly to clarify the nature and significance of this "modernity". This would make your arguments more precise and less ambiguous.

 

By addressing these areas, the paper can significantly improve its argumentation and present a more comprehensive and convincing study of Su Shi's philosophical thought.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your detailed and systematic feedback. We have made substantial revisions to the paper based on your suggestions. In the "Introduction" section, we have provided a more thorough explanation of the paper's structure, the complex relationship between Su Shi and Neo-Confucianism, as well as the methodological framework for selecting and interpreting Su Shi's texts. In the second section, we have added a discussion of the disenchantment process surrounding the Buddhist conception of hell and its reflection of the broader societal transformation in China after the Tang Dynasty, in order to strengthen the logical structure of this section. In the third section, we have supplemented the political and intellectual historical background of 11th-century China and the motivations behind Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality. Additionally, we have incorporated a philosophical interpretation of Su Shi’s poetry and prose. In the new fourth section, we focus on the complex relationship between Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality and Neo-Confucianism, and examine the ontological foundation of Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality, grounded in "disposition." We have also noted the differing perspectives on Su Shi’s philosophy among various scholars and provided our own analysis within this context. Finally, based on these revisions, we have updated the conclusion.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper deals with an original and thought-provoking topic by assessing how the writings of the famous Song-period poet Su Shi contribute to a radical rethinking of the meaning of death and the afterlife while fostering a new focus on self-determination.

While the topic is eminently worthwhile and much of the material is interesting and important, overall the paper falls short of achieving its goal because it gets distracted by the unfortunate attempt to explicate a grandiose sense of historical trajectory of Chinese views of hell covering many centuries, from pre-Han to the Song and beyond, but in ways that are superficial and sometimes misleading.

That is, the author wants to situate Su Shi's approach in the context of how he overcomes all prior beliefs, but this aim is not realistic in a relatively short paper, and the failure also means that key questions that should be dealt with are overlooked or given short shrift, that is, too little attention.

A prime example of what receives too little attention is the role of Neo-Confucian philosophy, which is mentioned in the abstract but is not dealt with again until the Conclusion, where the treatment suffers from being too little analysis that appears too late in the paper - this topic needs to be at the forefront.

Another example is that other poets or literati from the Song period, along with Buddhist philosophers who may have developed philosophical ideals similar to Su Shi (or may be contrasted with him) are not mentioned. Meanwhile, the implication lingers in the paper, especially related to the long quotation from Ge beginning on line 160, that Su's approach is part of the Chan Buddhist school when this was not the case - although Su participated in Chan meditation and interacted with Chan masters, his approach needs to be more carefully distinguished. Other poets/thinkers must be engaged with by the author.

So, I strongly suggest rewriting the paper with the above comments in mind and resubmitting a more substantial argument that should have a good chance to be published.

On a few minor but important points -

a. the author should use traditional rather than simplified characters since the paper entirely concerns premodern literature

b. the author should put English translations first or before the citing of the Chinese throughout the paper - one example of many is on line 235, where it should be "Shenzong 神宗"

c. for formatting the poem beginning on line 200, not only should the English come first, but I recommend assembling the lines of the poem all together and then citing the Chinese after this

d. the word angst on lines 51 and 118 does not need to be capitalized or to be in italics

 

Author Response

Thank you very much for your detailed and systematic feedback. We have made the corresponding revisions based on the four minor issues you raised, and have also made substantial changes to the paper in accordance with your suggestions.

In the "Introduction" section, we have provided a more detailed explanation of the paper’s structure, the complex relationship between Su Shi and Neo-Confucianism, and the methodological framework for selecting and interpreting Su Shi’s texts. In the second section, we have added a discussion of the disenchantment process surrounding the Buddhist conception of hell and its reflection of the broader societal transformation in China after the Tang Dynasty, in order to strengthen the logical structure of this section. In the third section, we have supplemented the political and intellectual historical background of 11th-century China and the motivations behind Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality. Additionally, we have incorporated a philosophical interpretation of Su Shi’s poetry and prose. In the new fourth section, we focus on the complex relationship between Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality and Neo-Confucianism, and examine the ontological foundation of Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality, grounded in "disposition." We have also noted the differing perspectives on Su Shi’s philosophy among various scholars and provided our own analysis within this context. Finally, based on these revisions, we have updated the conclusion.

Regarding the complex relationship between Su Shi and Neo-Confucianism, we agree that this is indeed a very important aspect. We have added and emphasized the discussion of the relationship between Su Shi and Neo-Confucianism. Due to the constraints of the topic and length, we had to strike a balance, but we have endeavored to highlight the uniqueness of Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality within the intellectual context of Neo-Confucianism.

You also mentioned the relationship between Su Shi and Chan Buddhism. We regret that some imprecise statements may have given you the impression that we conflated Chan Buddhist philosophy with Su Shi’s thought. Given the theme and scope of this paper, we are unable to fully explore the complex relationship between Su Shi and Buddhism (not just Chan Buddhism), and the excerpts we cited were intended to illustrate how the disenchantment process undergone by Buddhism at the end of the Tang and early Song periods mirrored the overall collapse of the political, social, religious, and cultural order of medieval China, thus providing the basis for our discussion of the intellectual revival in early Song China. In fact, what we seek to emphasize is that Su Shi’s philosophy of individuality, grounded in "disposition," is something entirely new in Chinese intellectual history. It integrates resources from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, while also representing Su Shi's unique intellectual innovation in the context of a tense relationship with Neo-Confucianism.

Once again, thank you for your patience.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The revised manuscript submitted this time has significantly improved compared to the initial draft. The author has responded positively and effectively to the review comments, making corresponding improvements in research methods, content analysis, logical structure, etc. However, there is still room for further enhancement.

Research Methods: The author has supplemented the methodological framework for selecting and interpreting Su Shi's texts in the "Introduction" section, which is a commendable approach. However, it can be further refined. For example, when explaining the selection of Su Shi's works, in addition to considering their relevance to the theme, it is necessary to clarify whether factors such as different creation periods and styles of the works have also been taken into account. Regarding how to ensure the objectivity and reliability of the interpretations, simply stating the selection of works from Huangzhou period and specific types of texts is insufficient. It would be better to introduce methods such as comparing multiple versions and referring to different academic viewpoints for mutual verification during the interpretation process, so as to enhance the scientific nature and credibility of the research methods.

Depth of Text Analysis: The revised manuscript has added philosophical interpretations of Su Shi's poems and essays, which is a great improvement. However, when analyzing some key works, such as "Jiangchengzi - Remembering My Wife on the Night of the 20th Day of the First Month of the Yimao Year" and "Ode to the Red Cliff", it can start from a more professional literary analysis perspective. When analyzing "Jiangchengzi", in addition to focusing on the connection between emotional expression and philosophical thought, we can also explore the unique role of the imagery used in the poem in demonstrating the transformation of the concept of the afterlife. When interpreting "Ode to the Red Cliff", we can start from the characteristics of the fu genre and analyze how Su Shi skillfully uses this literary form to expound his philosophical viewpoints, making the combination of text analysis and philosophical research closer.

Comparison with Other Thinkers: The newly added chapter on the relationship between Su Shi's individuality philosophy and Neo - Confucianism has deepened the research. However, in terms of comparing with other thinkers, besides the representatives of Neo - Confucianism, attention can also be paid to Su Shi's relationship with other non - mainstream thinkers in the same period. The viewpoints of these thinkers may have had less influence at that time, but they can highlight the uniqueness of Su Shi's thought from more diverse perspectives. Moreover, when making comparisons, forms such as charts can be used to visually present the similarities and differences between Su Shi's viewpoints and those of different thinkers, enhancing the clarity of the discussion.

Integration of Historical and Cultural Background: There have been some improvements in expounding the political and intellectual historical background of the 11th - century China. However, it can be explored more deeply. For example, the shaping effect of the imperial examination system and educational development in the Song Dynasty on Su Shi's thought; the changes in the social class structure at that time and the influence of Su Shi's social class on the formation of his thought. These contents can make the connection between Su Shi's philosophical thinking and the historical and cultural background of that time closer, enriching the dimensions of the research.

Logical Structure: The overall logical coherence has been enhanced, and the new content has improved the connection between various parts to a certain extent. However, the transition between "Su Shi's Spiritual Journey" and "Resisting Rationalism with Emotion: The Divide between Su Shi and Neo - Confucianism" can still be made more natural and smooth. At the end of the "Su Shi's Spiritual Journey" section, it is advisable to appropriately mention the potential conflicts between Su Shi's thought and the mainstream thoughts (including the embryonic thoughts of Neo - Confucianism) at that time, providing a more sufficient foreshadowing for the discussion of the divide between Su Shi and Neo - Confucianism in the next section, and making the article's logic more rigorous.

Argumentation of Views: The revised manuscript has responded to the issue of quantifying and qualifying claims to a certain extent, but it still needs to be strengthened. When discussing that Su Shi's thought represents a "proto - modern" individuality, more cross - cultural comparison content can be introduced. By comparing with philosophical thoughts in the same or similar periods in the West, we can clarify the position and unique value of Su Shi's thought in the development context of world philosophy, making the definition of the concept of "proto - modern" clearer and more accurate, and enhancing the persuasiveness of the argument.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your comprehensive and systematic feedback, which has been remarkably helpful in guiding our revisions of the paper.

Regarding the methodological approach to text selection, we have made only minor adjustments - such as removing the temporal restriction to the Huangzhou period - while maintaining our primary focus on works from Su Shi's phase of political frustration. Due to space constraints, we have had to concentrate on the current selection of texts, and we appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Following your suggestions, we have attempted to reinterpret Su Shi's literary works from his exile period combining literary and philosophical perspectives. Particularly in our analysis of Jiangchengzi, we have incorporated imagery analysis and introduced Stephen Owen's analytical framework to complement the philosophical interpretation.

Regarding the four other issues you raised, we have addressed them through integrated revisions: At the beginning of Part III, we have introduced discussions about the socio-economic transformations of the Song Dynasty and reforms in the imperial examination system to better contextualize Su Shi's intellectual background.

At the conclusion of Part III, we have expanded on the connection between Su Shi's philosophy of "Qing" (disposition) and its intellectual lineage to Tang literati like Han Yu and Li Ao, while also highlighting the intrinsic relationship between Su Shi's literary formal choices and his philosophical thought. This serves to bridge into the discussions in Part IV regarding potential divergences between Su Shi's philosophy and Neo-Confucianism.

At the end of Part IV, we have supplemented discussions concerning Su Shi's self-positioning of his philosophical system, particularly his late-life attitudes towards Confucianism and Buddhism.

Regarding the "modernity" of Su Shi's philosophy, we have added explanatory perspectives: interpreting Song China's "proto-modernity" through its socio-political transformations, and analyzing the "modernity" of Su Shi's philosophy of individuality through comparative examination with early modern European philosophical concepts of "individuality" and "self-consciousness." These discussions remain constrained by word count limitations.

We have also made comprehensive revisions throughout the paper to improve the quality of English expression, within our current capabilities. Your understanding in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Once again, we sincerely thank you for your patience and valuable guidance.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This revision addresses the main issues raised in the first reader report, which means the article now deserves to be published. However, I have one more set of concerns that needs to be addressed before finalizing the publication process. The author(s) put a strong emphasis on the term "disposition," often used with a modifier such as "vast" or "boundless" disposition. The key term is mentioned about three dozen times in the paper.

Therefore -

1. I recommend that the subtitle should be changed to, "Examining Su Shi's Philosophy of Disposition," because the current version of the subtitle s too broad and vague (note also that there should be a colon, rather than a period, separating the title and subtitle);

2. The author(s) should do more to explain their use of "disposition" as a translation instead of alternatives like "emotion" (note that I think it is fine to use this translation but it needs to be unpacked); and

3. When the last sentence of the paper refers to disposition as a matter of "equanimity and composure," this needs to be better explained because that evaluation was not previously mentioned and it gives a very different flavor to the key term, especially when it is compared to "nature" (note that this interpretation may be fine, but it should be previewed clearly earlier in the paper).

多情

[vast disposition]

. 多情

 

Author Response

We sincerely appreciate your valuable feedback.

We fully agree with your suggestions regarding the title and have revised it accordingly.

Regarding the translation of qing, we have supplemented the relevant discussion with annotations (see revised page 2, note 1).

The phrase "equanimity and composure" in the concluding sentence functions as a rhetorical device, The expressions "equanimity and composure" in the final sentence are used to describe a calm and fearless attitude toward death—one that goes beyond simple acceptance of suffering. They reflect the inner harmony of someone who has achieved spiritual freedom.

Thank you once again for your patience.