Journal
of Oriental Studies 41.1 (2006), pp. 69-90.
The Investigation of Principle:
Morality in Yetan suilu (abstract)
The comments
that the Manchu writer Hebang'e 和邦額
(fl. 1736-ca. 1779) addresses to his readers in Yetan suilu 夜譚隨錄
(Casual Records of Night Talks) demonstrate that he heard from others the legends
that he records. He also uses these comments to describe the circumstances
surrounding the recording of the legends and to demonstrate his belief in them
as factual. Hebang'e's contribution was to portray the legends as requiring
philosophical investigation, and to "investigate the principles" of
the legends, which often mean morally evaluating the legends.