This chapter compares three Scandinavian versions of the Book of Changes to examine how Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish authors have interpreted the classic for gender equality. It focuses on the Changes of Margaret J. Pearson who is known for her challenges against the Western interpretation of the Changes as male-centric. Pearson’s interpretation of the Changes serves as the basis for my comparison of three Scandinavian renditions, each from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. My comparison suggests that the three Scandinavian authors interpreted the Changes from the perspective of gender equality, but they differ starkly in their approaches and arguments. Whereas the Danish author Jens Windeleff alters important terms and highlights the feminine, the Swedish author, Kristine Tranmark Kossman, merely altered some terms to make them gender neutral. In comparison, the Norwegian author, Eva Skodvin, utilizes the Changes to accuse Western culture of being “yang-centric” (prioritizing masculine values). In the process, Skodvin highlights, like Windeleff, the importance of yin values (feminine values) for both genders and uses the yin-yang dichotomy to become a primordial concept propagating gender equality. Through this comparison, this article presents a complex feminist interpretation of the Changes interpretation and argues that the three Scandinavian authors are creative and thoughtful in interpreting the Chinese classic to deal with gender issues in contemporary society.

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Yijing and Feminism: The Scandinavian Interpretations of the Book of Changes

  • Bjørn Åge Blix

摘要

This chapter compares three Scandinavian versions of the Book of Changes to examine how Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish authors have interpreted the classic for gender equality. It focuses on the Changes of Margaret J. Pearson who is known for her challenges against the Western interpretation of the Changes as male-centric. Pearson’s interpretation of the Changes serves as the basis for my comparison of three Scandinavian renditions, each from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. My comparison suggests that the three Scandinavian authors interpreted the Changes from the perspective of gender equality, but they differ starkly in their approaches and arguments. Whereas the Danish author Jens Windeleff alters important terms and highlights the feminine, the Swedish author, Kristine Tranmark Kossman, merely altered some terms to make them gender neutral. In comparison, the Norwegian author, Eva Skodvin, utilizes the Changes to accuse Western culture of being “yang-centric” (prioritizing masculine values). In the process, Skodvin highlights, like Windeleff, the importance of yin values (feminine values) for both genders and uses the yin-yang dichotomy to become a primordial concept propagating gender equality. Through this comparison, this article presents a complex feminist interpretation of the Changes interpretation and argues that the three Scandinavian authors are creative and thoughtful in interpreting the Chinese classic to deal with gender issues in contemporary society.