Seeing Things via the Light of the Shen: Wang Kentang’s Innovative Approach to the Five Wheels (wu lun 五輪) Morphological Theory

Date(s)： 2025/08/07

Time： 10:00~12:00

Venue： Archives 2nd Conference Hall

Host： Prof. Xie Xin-Zhe（Assistant research fellow, IMH, AS）

Speaker：Dr. Elena Gessler (Postdoctoral research fellow, IMH, AS)

Disscussant： Prof. Chang Che-chia (Associate research fellow and Head of IMH Computer Service)

Organizer： IMH

Abstract:
The figure of Wang Kentang (王肯堂, 1549–1613)—an eminent late Ming scholar-official and polymath who made significant contributions across various fields such as medicine, law, Buddhist studies, calligraphy, classical Confucian commentaries, and the adaptation and dissemination of Western knowledge—has not yet received adequate attention from modern scholarship. Despite Wang's recognition as an outstanding physician in the History of Ming (Ming shi, 明史), this acknowledgment has not sufficiently spurred academic exploration of his medical thought. This research seeks to address this gap by examining Wang's innovative interpretation of the five wheels (wu lun 五輪) theory of the morphological structure of the eye.  It not only delves into Wang’s perspectives on the general morphology and physiology of the eyes but also situates them within the broader context of prior Chinese medical traditions. Furthermore, it illustrates how his reinterpretation of earlier theoretical frameworks became a standard in the subsequent understanding of pathological patterns and eye structures in Chinese medicine.