Epistemic Blinkering: Reflections on Fraser’s Discussion

Professor Chris Fraser’s Late Classical Chinese Thought focuses on the period from the high point of Jixia Academy to Lu Buwei’s sponsorship of scholarship. Fraser skillfully maintains a delicate balance between introducing a difficult text to a general audience and delving into a complex philosophical topic. For the general audience, Fraser introduces key issues discussed in the late classical texts and presents them on equal footing with some of the more familiar texts, allowing readers to entertain ideas in these texts from fresh [End Page 893] vantage points that are not framed by the reception of these texts in intellectual history. For scholars of Chinese thought, Fraser analyzes intricate ideas in these important texts and suggests new interpretive routes that hold great potential for fruitful engagement with contemporary philosophical discussions. In this article, I will attempt to develop one line of thought that is inspired by Fraser’s discussion. My interest here is not exegetical but on extracting insights from these classical texts to deepen our philosophical thinking on epistemological issues.