The Formation and Evolution of the Criticism of “Literati Conduct Immorally” from Han to Six Dynasties

After the Eastern Han Dynasty, the phrase “literati conduct immorally” (“文人无行”) became the main criticism of the literati community. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the “literati conduct immorally” discourse was mainly focused on criticizing literati for their “unscrupulous” behaviour in seeking officials. After the Southern Dynasty, the focus of the “literati conduct immorally” discourse shifted to criticizing the behavior of literati who relied on their literary talent to treat others with pride and arrogance. The evolution of the critical discourse reflects the change of the criteria for selecting a scholar from “selecting a scholar by virtue” to “selecting a scholar by writing” from the Han Dynasty to the Wei Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties.