The Duality Code

[Demonic_Duck]

There's a lot to pick apart here, so I'll just go for scattershot bullet points.

• So, it's a conspiracy theory then? I guess that answers the question of what you're selling.
• What you mean is that you're confident enough in the quality of your work to let other people pay for it.
• The holy books of the major world religions were also written a long time ago, have been widely cited in reputable works, and are widely believed to be true... but they can't all be right given that they contradict each other about the fundamental nature of reality. Being old and widely cited says nothing about a book's reliability.
• You're using words like "controversial" to paint yourself as an outsider or a maverick, yet you're the one that's deferring to the conventional wisdom of old books. The only innovation is that you're painting your own bunk theories on top of that conventional wisdom.

[imron]

I am at a loss as to why the Unihan Database would be considered "not an authoritative source by any means".

The Unihan database's primary purpose is not to provide translations and etymology - in fact, in one of the annexes to the database it states that the English definition is just a "gloss" and that dictionary reference fields are provided for people interested in doing further research.  In particular it also states:

 

providing a definitive English gloss is impossible, and not something which has been achieved

 

I would therefore second the idea that Unihan should not be used a primary source for English translations.

[WKC]

imron,

 

Thank you for pointing me towards Outlier.  I had come across them in my research but was not aware that OneEye was part of the team.

 

My method of looking at characters differs from the Outlier approach.  The Outlier approach provides a method of learning Chinese characters.  It is a perfectly usable approach, however this approach does not explain why Lu Xun said, "汉字不灭，中国必亡"

 

My approach is radically different.  I trust that you will appreciate that I will not be disclosing my entire approach on this forum but I will disclose a little more about dualities.

 

The character 囗 has the definition of 'erect, proud; upright; bald' according to the Unihan Database.  It is my contention that 囗 is encrypted with a substitution cipher.  The substitution cipher is disclosed in the Kangxi dictionary which says in the gloss for  囗 that  it has a 古文圍字.  Therefore it is my contention that 囗 can be read as 圍 which has an English translation of 'surround, encircle, corral' according to the Unihan Database.

 

My book looks at substitution ciphers that encrypt the Duality Code.  There are also other types of ciphers that are dealt with in my book.

 

I have mentioned in a previous post that each character bears an encryption.  My book decrypts the encryptions contained in 古, 文, 字, and many others.  

[WKC]

imron,

 

If Unihan is not a suitable source of English translations, perhaps you could suggest an alternative online alternative.  I will consider it most seriously for a 2nd edition of my book.

[OneEye]

For a etymological dictionary that was compiled c. 100 CE, this ancient text is still in publication and can be purchased even today.  This shows that there are people who still value it today.

 

Yes, I have five copies in my home office and have personally copied every seal form in the Shuowen by hand, many of them multiple times (this is called "studying paleography in grad school in Taiwan"). I have an entire shelf of books on what you could call "Shuowen studies," and several shelves more on paleography and excavated texts (mostly about 楚國竹簡, which was my specialty, but also plenty about 甲骨文 and 金文), all of which cite the Shuowen extensively. I'm very keenly aware of the Shuowen's value to modern scholarship. That value is most certainly not as an authoritative source for character etymology, but rather as a window into what Han Dynasty scholars—or more accurately just Xu Shen himself—thought about characters. It's indispensable as a tool for research, but it is not infallible by any means.

 

 

 

I totally understand that there will be an alternative point of view regarding the 說文.

 

It is not an alternative view. It's very much mainstream. The fact that you're unaware of the extensive body of work on the subject undermines your credibility even more.

 

 

 

But to question the 說文's reliability will be tantamount to questioning the reliability of those that quote the 說文 – such as the Kangxi Dictionary, the 漢語大字典, and zdic.

 

Yup. I don't hold anyone's work as sacred. Every bit of scholarship is to be questioned. 

 

The Kangxi dictionary is also problematic. Again, there's a huge body of work on the subject.

 

The compilers of the 漢語大字典 themselves admitted that they didn't have sufficient knowledge to be equal to the task. They were correct. They're very capable scholars, no slouches by any means, but that dictionary is riddled with errors. Some of the same people compiled 《秦漢魏晉篆隸字形表》, an incredibly useful reference. But after reading that book, Qiu Xigui 裘錫圭 wrote an article called 〈《秦漢魏晉篆隸字形表》讀後記〉, a 30-page paper in which he points out many (probably not all) of its errors.

 

That's called "peer review," by the way. And consulting 《秦漢魏晉篆隸字形表》 without referring to Qiu Xigui's paper is called "irresponsible scholarship." How much more so is taking a book written nearly two thousand years ago as authoritative without even considering the immense body of research pointing out its extensive shortcomings?

[WKC]

Demonic_Duck,

 

• My book does not hypothesise a conspiracy theory.  It hypothesises that Chinese characters have an encryption that I call the Duality Code.
• Yes, I am confident enough in my book to let people pay to read it.  I am indeed guilty as charged.
• I think we can agree to disagree as to whether the 說文 is reliable or not.  It is my contention that it is.
• My work will be controversial.  There will be people like your good self who will question it.  That is your prerogative and I will do my best to answer your queries with utmost respect.

[WKC]

OneEye,

 

My use of the Shuowen is as follows:

- illustrations for Seal Script

- information on 古文

- definitions

 

I do not know of a better source for illustrations of Seal Script.  Perhaps you could kindly point me to a better source for the 2nd edition of my book.

 

I do not know of a better source of 古文 from c. 100 CE.  Again, I would be grateful if you could point me to a better source for the 2nd edition of my book.

 

I do not know of a better source of definitions for characters from c. 100 CE.  I would certainly appreciate you pointing me to a better source for the 2nd edition of my book.

[OneEye]

- illustrations for Seal Script

 

Fine, but which version are you using and why? There are differences between some forms in the 段玉裁 version and those in the 徐鉉 version. And some of the seal forms in the Shuowen are different from the actual forms used during the Qin dynasty. These differences aren't usually huge, so in a non-academic work like this it's probably not a big deal.

 

 

 

- information on 古文

 

You ask for "a better source of 古文 from c. 100 CE" but there's a massive body of Han Dynasty literature available to you. The Shuowen is written in a very terse, formulaic style.

 

 

 

- definitions

 

Why? There are much better (modern) resources out there, 《古代漢語詞典》 and 《王力古漢語字典》 being two. This isn't my area of expertise, but I'd recommend you consult the relevant chapter in Endymion Wilkinson's Chinese History: A New Manual.

 

Again, the Shuowen is chock full of spurious definitions. I'd recommend cross-checking it with《說文新證》 at least, and perhaps 《說文解字義證》 (though that's also a very old book and needs to be cross-checked too).

 

You also need to be clear (and I'm not saying you're not) on how meaning changes over time. There's 本義、引申義、假借義, etc. Not to mention things like 本字 and 分化字. If you're going to explore why characters have multiple meanings, these are essential concepts.

[WKC]

OneEye,

 

There will be people who will question every aspect of my book and every Chinese dictionary that I use, as well as every Chinese-English translation that I use.  This is to be expected as part of the academic validation process.

 

I will endeavour to to take aboard all queries and criticisms for the 2nd edition.

 

Thank you for your input.  Most grateful.

[Angelina]

Someone with some formal education in the Chinese writing system (OneEye) did confirm that the 說文 was based on some mystical 陰陽五行 (duality). It would be great if you get their endorsement after they actually read the book. 

 

You can try reading modern scholarship on Chinese characters. 

 

There is a difference between Dan Brown and Umberto Eco, also, there is a difference between Eco's academic work and his popular work. Just because he wrote some popular books, it does not mean that he was not knowledgeable and unable to debate on esoteric academic topics. On the contrary, he definitely inspired people to read more and maybe be less impressed by conspiracy theories. 

[roddy]

Man, history really isn't being kind to that "汉字不灭，中国必亡" quote, is it....

[WKC]

Angelina,

 

The Duality Code uses 五行.  My book explains it.

 

I maintain that there is a Duality Code.  There is also a  doubting antiquity school of which Qian Xuantong was a leader.   There will be modern scholarship that belongs to the doubting antiquity school.  If you cannot eliminate the Duality Code that exists in Chinese characters, create spin against anything that may be used to decrypt the Duality Code.

[WKC]

roddy,

 

I have not come across a good explanation for why Lu Xun said, "汉字不灭，中国必亡".  I would be most interested if you could point me in the direction of a good explanation.

[roddy]

This might help. Probably best to read it in English, to avoid any ambiguity...

[WKC]

Roddy,

 

By strange coincidence my book decrypts part of 門外文談.  

 

Lu Xun was actually talking about the Duality Code in that article.  Although Lu Xun is conventionally thought to have been writing in vernacular Chinese, he was trained in classical Chinese and uses aspects of classical Chinese in his writings.  In plain language, part of what he says is encrypted in the Duality Code.  You have to understand the Duality Code to be able to decrypt Lu Xun's writings.

 

 I don't think Mair understands the Duality Code.  This is no slight on Mair.  As Moser said, sinologists do not understand classical Chinese.

[roddy]

Oooh, just you wait til my new book, the Triality Code, comes out.... then we'll see...

[WKC]

Roddy,

 

I can't wait.

[Angelina]

I don't think Mair understands the Duality Code.  This is no slight on Mair.  As Moser said, sinologists do not understand classical Chinese.

 

 

 

I would advice you against saying things like that in the future. 

[WKC]

I'll try to remember your advice.

[Shelley]

Did a publisher pay for your book to be published or did you pay for it? How many copies were printed?

 

‘If Chinese characters are not eradicated, China will perish’. 

 

 

In what context is this statement made?

 

I think because of context, recognised usage and common sense, there is usually no ambiguity.

 

With the advent of modern computers, and all the tools they offer for learning, translating and writing chinese, this is not a problem any more.

 

For me this "duality" you seem to consider a problem I consider one the beauties of characters.

 

The cover of the book does seem to reinforce the "Dan Brown" effect of your title, maybe this was intentional, but it doesn't bode well for the accuracy of the content, i am not in any position to comment on the correctness of your book, but I have been made wary of trusting it.