Dong Zhongshu's transformation of Yin-Yang theory and contesting of gender identity

Yin-yang theory, usually understood as an example of Chinese correlative cosmology, locates human flourishing within a rich and deep perspective highlighting the interrelatedness of the cosmos and human nature. This cosmological vision provides a metaphysical view of the world that presents an understanding of human nature and the moral life conducive to human flourishing. The metaphysical grounding of human nature in the yin-yang perspective offers a promising conceptual foundation for asserting the equal value of men and women. At the same time, it proposes a useful way of constructing gender differences. But before these promises can be fulfilled, we should address a practical puzzle encountered in Chinese history: on the one hand ancient Chinese thought shaped by the yin-yang perspective may in theory yield an intriguing and valuable conceptual resource for a balanced understanding of gender equality, while on the other hand it is undeniable that throughout Chinese history many forms of inhumane treatment were meted out to women in the name of this theory. These two conflicting empirical observations are also reflected in scholarly controversy. Some scholars defend the concept of yin-yang as a primary source for constructing Chinese gender identity that still has much to offer contemporary feminist thought. Others, however, assert that the denigration of women in ancient China is a direct result of the idea of yin-yang.