The Characteristic of Zhang Zai's Comments on The Book of Songs

There is a discrepancy between Zhang Zai's Comments on The Book of Songs and the current state of studies on this book. Further studies should be carried out. In his work, he put forward the interpretative concept of “using your mind to conjure the mind of others”, which was reflected in his three works on The Book of Songs. He also used “obedience to nature and respect of the monarch” as the content of interpretation, which was expressed in his“principle of obeying the monarch”, his mentioning of King Wen's service to Zhou, etc. As to interpreting methods, Zhang Zai used The Book of Changes and the idea of“Qi” to interpret The Book of Songs. These methods were exclusively his own, while Song Confucians generally resorted to ritual, sensibility and reason to read The Book of Songs. His comments were not always original, but reflected social trends of respecting the monarch, therefore guaranteeing their values. His methods were not always new, but they were used by many scholars in the Song Dynasty, therefore deserving our attention.