Yang Zhu, also known as Yangzi (Master Yang), was the central figure of a short-lived school of thought known as Yangism, which emphasised self-preservation and individual well-being over duty to the state or others. Yang Zhu (楊朱), active during the 4th century BCE in China’s turbulent Warring States period, was one of the earliest and most controversial voices of individualism in Chinese thought. Although none of his original writings survive, his philosophy lives on through scattered references in texts like the Liezi, Mencius, and Huainanzi.
Later Confucians often depicted him as dangerously selfish, but this caricature misses the nuance of his ideas. Yang Zhu wasn’t arguing for greed or callousness — he was defending the value of individual life in an age obsessed with duty, hierarchy, and sacrifice.
Key Ideas
- The Incomparable Value of Life
Yang Zhu famously said he “would not pluck a single hair to benefit the world.” This line has long been misread as laziness or self-indulgence, yet it expressed a deeper conviction: each person’s life is their most precious possession, and nothing is worth destroying it for. Glory, wealth, and political power were, to him, distractions that pulled people away from life’s simple joys. - Acceptance of Death
Central to his philosophy was the belief that death is natural, inevitable, and not to be feared. Yang Zhu rejected the idea of straining to build a legacy or clinging desperately to life. Since death erases wealth, fame, and status alike, he reasoned, our energy is better spent enjoying life in the present. The wise person, he suggested, lives fully while they can — and then meets death without regret. - Natural Enjoyment
Yang Zhu encouraged people to embrace their natural desires — food, comfort, companionship — without being enslaved by ambition. Pleasure, for him, wasn’t mindless indulgence but part of a balanced and authentic life. Denying these simple joys to chase grand achievements was, in his view, a tragic waste. - Opposition to Forced Altruism
While not opposed to kindness, he rejected any doctrine that demanded people sacrifice their lives or happiness for the state, their rulers, or even family duties. He saw enforced altruism as tyranny disguised as virtue, and stood as an early advocate of personal autonomy in a culture dominated by collective obligations.
Why He Was Controversial
Confucian thinkers like Mencius condemned Yang Zhu as dangerously subversive, claiming his teachings would lead to social collapse. Mencius believed that human nature was fundamentally good and could be cultivated through benevolence and duty; he worried that Yang Zhu’s focus on self-preservation would erode the social bonds and ethical responsibilities that held families and states together. Mohists, who championed universal love and duty, viewed him as their philosophical opposite. Yet from a modern perspective, Yang Zhu can be seen as a necessary counterweight — a reminder that morality means little if it demands the destruction of the self.
Yang Zhu’s Legacy
Though his school did not survive long after his death, Yang Zhu’s spirit lives on in Daoist thought and resonates with strands of modern humanism and existentialism. His calm acceptance of death and insistence on valuing life for its own sake offer a quietly radical message:
What good is saving the world if you lose yourself in the process?
Further Reading
- Liezi — Chapter 7 (Yang Zhu chapter, though compiled later)
- Mencius — Book 7A, for Confucian critiques of Yang Zhu
- Huainanzi — Han-era philosophical compendium referencing his school
- Graham, A.C. (1989). Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China
- Ivanhoe, Philip J. (2011). Readings from the Lu–Wang School of Neo-Confucianism — includes context on individualist strands in Chinese thought
Information online
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