ABSTRACT
Xi Kang (223-262 or 224-263 C.E.; the surname Xi is commonly pronounced “Ji” in modern Chinese) cuts a striking figure in the history of Chinese philosophy. A brilliant musician and poet, a master of “pure conversation” (qingtan), an iconoclast, a model of integrity and a tall, handsome man by all accounts, Xi was one of the most influential neo-Daoist thinkers of his age. Leader of the “seven worthies of the bamboo grove,” a group of prominent intellectuals who challenged the Confucian orthodoxy during the Wei-Jin transition, Xi played a significant role in shaping the neo-Daoist agenda in the second phase of its development.
