Pham Nguyen Du: ideals and illusions
Keywords:
Confucianism; Pham Nguyen Du; loyalty to the King; rule of morality; the 18th century
Abstract
The article focuses on Pham Nguyen Du’s political views which are manifested in his choices and his works, such as Độc sử si tưởng, Luận ngữ ngu án, Nam hành ký đắc tập, Hầu Thạch Động thi tập, Thạch Động văn sao… Pointing out the sharp impact of the Confucian thought “loyalty to the King” and the agenda “rule of morality” on this intellectual, even when the complex political-social context in Vietnam in the 18th century made his ideal crack, the article indicates that Pham Nguyen Du’s unfortunate ending is the desperate effort of a virtuous scholar who did not have the vision to realize Confucian utopia and irrationality.
