Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

2008

Department

Communication Studies

Abstract

What is the fundamental principle of the universe? The question has preoccupied the mind of Chinese elites for centuries. The answer can be found in the discourse on the concept of bian (change), which is the central theme of I Ching or the Book of Changes. This essay, based on the discourse of I Ching, aims to demystify the concept of bian from the following aspects: the attributes of change, the principle of change, the forces of change, the forms of change, and the outcome of change. Through the analyses, the author wishes to identify various change-oriented patterns of expressions that contribute to constructing the deeply ingrained change discourses in Chinese intellectual tradition.

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