ABSTRACT
L i Chih was one of the most versatile and p ro lif ic w rite rs and authors of the la ter Ming dynasty, covering almost every subject in Chinese studies, from Confucian classics, philosoph ica l treatises, belle le ttres , Buddhism, Taoism, to popular novels, dramas, and other miscellaneous anecdotal and f ic tional lite ra tu re . There are at least over twenty items of his authentic w ritin g s , some of which are rather voluminous, and yet another th ir ty of them that are either interpersed w ith forgeries or were entire ly doctored in his name by unscrupu lous and opportunistic w rite rs and publishers in the late Ming and early Ch'ing. The bulk of these w ritin g s , despite the im peria l proscrip tion, s t i l l surv ive , and some are available in modern editions, but there are yet no comprehensive and me ticulous studies on his w ritings. That poses a m ajor obstacle to the study of his life and thought.
