1. Hui Shi (惠施, c. 370–310 BCE)

• Core Philosophy
  • Relativism (相对论): “All things are one in difference” (万物毕同毕异).
  • Paradoxical Reasoning: “The sun at noon is the sun setting” (日方中方睨).
• Key Contributions
  • Developed dialectical thought challenging conventional logic.
  • Recorded in Zhuangzi as a major philosophical rival.
• Historical Significance
  • Pushed Chinese philosophy beyond practical ethics into metaphysical speculation.
• Enduring Influence
  • Indirectly influenced Chan Buddhism’s koan tradition.

2. Gongsun Long (公孙龙, c. 325–250 BCE)

• Core Philosophy
  • “White Horse Not Horse” (白马非马): Distinction between particulars and universals.
  • “Hard and White” (坚白论): Attributes exist independently of objects.
• Key Contributions
  • Authored the Gongsun Longzi, China’s most sophisticated logical text.
  • Established semantic analysis in Chinese thought.
• Historical Significance
  • Created China’s closest parallel to Greek formal logic.
• Enduring Influence
  • Rediscovered in 20th century as Chinese analytic philosophy precursor.