How can one distinguish a virtuous person from a hypocrite? In late Ming China, qin (seven-stringed zither) practitioners asserted that music was the most reliable indicator of one’s moral character. Join UT Libraries on Tuesday, March 4, from 2-4 pm in Fine Arts Library for The Anxiety of Being Known: Music, Morality, and Recognition in Late Ming China - Talk and Qin Performance by Dr. Zeyuan Wu. 

This talk examines how the long-established notion of zhiyin (“one who knows music” or “a like-minded friend”) was redefined to conceptualize an imagined moral elite in response to social and cultural anxieties during this period. As a result, zhiyin identification became not just an ideal but a necessity, shaping qin practice as a space where people from different backgrounds negotiated their membership of the moral elite.

Location: Fine Arts Library