| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 裴頠, 裴頠, Péi Wěi |
| Nickname | Author of Chongyou Lun, Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat |
| Other name | Bùi Ngỗi |
| Courtesy name | 景思, 景思, Jǐngsī, Cảnh Tư |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | 267 |
| Birth Place | Wenxi County, Hedong Commandery |
| Died | 300 |
| Death Reason | Executed in Luoyang during the coup of Prince of Zhao Sima Lun for upholding imperial legitimacy |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Western Jin Dynasty, Cao Wei |
Biography & Historical Record
Pei Wei (裴頠, Bùi Ngỗi), courtesy name Jingsi (景思), was one of the foremost philosophers, scholars, and senior statesmen of the Western Jin dynasty. Born in Wenxi County, Hedong Commandery, he was the brilliant son of Pei Xiu (裴秀), the Minister of Works, and grandson of Cao Wei general Pei Qian (裴潜).
Gifted with razor-sharp intellect and deep moral gravity, Pei Wei rose rapidly through the imperial bureaucracy to become Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat (尚书左仆射) and Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. In an era dominated by Xuanxue (Neo-Daoist Dark Learning) and nihilistic escapism, Pei Wei authored the immortal philosophical treatise Chongyou Lun (崇有论, “Treatise on Esteeming Being”), vigorously arguing that active material reality, moral duty, and social institutions are fundamental to civilization.
Pei Wei sought courageously to steer the Western Jin court toward responsible governance and restraint during the regency crises and Empress Jia Nanfeng’s political ascendancy. However, during the chaotic revolt of Sima Lun (Prince of Zhao) in 300 AD, Pei Wei was tragically executed for his steadfast refusal to validate the usurpation, immortalized as a martyr of intellectual and political rectitude.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 120 (Philosophers of the new realm): While courtiers indulged in idle discourse and frivolous revelry, Pei Wei composed his treatise on reality and virtue, speaking truth to power in the heart of Luoyang.
Pei Wei — Historical & Literary Timeline
267 AD
Birth into Hedong Aristocracy
Born to Pei Xiu; displays precocious philosophical acumen and dedication to Confucian statecraft.
c. 290 AD
Composition of Chongyou Lun
Authors the celebrated philosophical treatise Chongyou Lun, refuting radical nihilism and championing social order.
300 AD
Martyrdom in Luoyang
Serving as Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat, he opposes the usurpation of Sima Lun and is executed, universally mourned by scholars.
Key Relationships
Family
- Pei Xiu (裴秀, Bùi Tú) — Father; Minister of Works and founder of Chinese scientific cartography.
- Pei Qian (裴潜, Bùi Tiềm) — Grandfather; prominent minister of Cao Wei.
- Pei Yi (裴仪, Bùi Nghi) — Elder brother; eldest heir of Pei Xiu’s estates.
- Pei Hui (裴徽, Bùi Huy) — Grand-uncle; Governor of Jizhou.
Friends / Allies
- Zhang Hua (张华, Trương Hoa) — Senior Minister of Western Jin, fellow intellectual giant, and political ally who was executed alongside Pei Wei.
- Wang Rong (王戎) — Bamboo Grove scholar and peer at the Jin court who respected Pei Wei’s philosophical depth.
- Sima Yan (司马炎, Tư Mã Viêm) — Emperor Wu of Jin; who placed high trust in the young Pei Wei’s intellect.
Enemies / Rivals
- Sima Lun (司马伦) — Prince of Zhao; usurper of the Jin throne who executed Pei Wei and Zhang Hua during his coup.
- Sun Xiu (孙秀, Sima Lun’s adviser) — Scheming mastermind behind the political purge of 300 AD.
- Radical Xuanxue Nihilists — Intellectual adversaries whom Pei Wei systematically criticized in Chongyou Lun.
Other
- Scholars of Chinese Philosophy — Generations of thinkers who revered Pei Wei as one of the most brilliant realistic ontologists of medieval China.
In Novel
Chapter 120 (A voice of reason in turbulent times)
- Pei Wei (裴頠, Bùi Ngỗi): In the grand halls of Luoyang, Pei Wei raised his voice against political decay, reminding the assembly that virtue and law are the pillars that uphold heaven and earth.
Chapter 120 (The martyr of integrity)
- Pei Wei (裴頠, Bùi Ngỗi): Refusing to bow to the sword of the usurper Sima Lun, Pei Wei faced his execution with unyielding dignity, leaving behind a name untarnished by compromise.
In History
Summary
- Pei Wei (裴頠, 267–300 AD), courtesy name Jingsi, was a renowned philosopher, writer, and Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat in Western Jin.
Year: 267–300 AD
- Penned the famous philosophical treatise Chongyou Lun and served at the apex of imperial administration before being unjustly executed by Sima Lun in 300 AD.
Historical Record
- Jin Shu, Vol. 35 (Biography of Pei Wei): Dedicates an extensive biography detailing his profound intellect, philosophical debates against Wang Bi and He Yan's radical interpretations, excerpts of Chongyou Lun, and his tragic death.
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