A Study of Shangshu with the Help of the Bamboo slips

Shangshu is an important canonical work, reputedly attributed to Confucius, in which the sayings and actions of sage kings in ancient times to the East Zhou Dynasty were recorded. This ancient text was difficult to understand, and suffered various vicissitudes of time. The versions that have survived and were excavated in different times varied, and their authenticity has been controversial. The issue has been much disputed by scholars from the Qing Dynasty to modern times.

This project proposes to review the controversies concerning the authenticity of the various versions of the canonical text of Shangshu, taking into consideration the various methods of verification used by critics, and with evidence from more recent excavations and cross-references with other authenticated texts, to engage in this dialogue and posit new insights.