Life

Huan worked as an official under the administrations of Emperor Ai of Han (.27–1BC), Wang Mang (.AD9–23), the Gengshi Emperor (.23–25), and Emperor Guangwu of Han (.25–57). Huan was a close associate of the court astronomer and mathematician Liu Xin, as well as the author and poet Yang Xiong.

Works

In addition to his many rhapsodies, essays, and memorials, Huan's major work was the Xinlun (新论)or New Discussions, which was admired by Emperor Guangwu despite Huan Tan's besmirched reputation for having closely associated himself with the regime of the usurper Wang Mang. His Xinlun is also the earliest text to describe the trip hammer device powered by hydraulics (i.e., a waterwheel), which was used to pound and decorticate grain.

Legacy

Huan's mode of philosophical thought belonged to an Old Text realist tradition. He drew explicitly on Legalism in his writings on government, saying that in certain historical epochs harsher punishments are needed. He was supported by other contemporaries such as the naturalist and mechanistic philosopher Wang Chong (27–), the latter who Crespigny states was probably heavily influenced by Huan Tan.

Huan Tan is reported by Yu Yingshi (b. 1930) to uphold self-contradictory views on immortality. On one hand, he is quoted to say that "the way of immortals" is a fabrication of the lovers for the strange; on the other, however, he was reported to admit the practice as genuine and efficient. Possible explanation lies in the fact that the Xinlun was a later compilation which might have confused his own statements with the quotations of his opponents.

生平

其父為漢成帝時的太樂令。桓譚在17歲時任職奉車郎中，陪侍漢成帝出祠甘泉、河東，著《仙賦》。桓譚擅長經學和音樂，有文才，喜非毀俗儒。漢哀帝、漢平帝時官位仍為郎官。至漢光武帝時，任議郎給事中，曾進諫漢光武帝不應以讖緯來決斷事情，建武十年（34年）被降為六安郡丞，隔年病死於途中，終年七十一歲。王充在其《論衡》中給予高度評價。

作品

著作有《新論》，原書早佚。清代有孫馮翼、嚴可均輯本，《問經堂叢書》有輯入。目前最好的輯本為朱謙之校輯的《新輯本桓譚新論》（北京，中華書局，2009）。

逸聞

• 張華《博物志》載：「漢世，安平崔瑗、瑗子寔、弘農張芝、芝弟昶並善草書，而太祖亞之。桓譚、蔡邕善音樂，馮翊山子道、王九真、郭凱等善圍棋，太祖皆與埒能。」可見桓譚善長音律，與蔡邕並稱。

各家考定的生卒年

• 孫少華：漢昭帝建昭三年（前36年）生，漢光武帝建武十一年（35年）卒。

• 汪廷奎、邱耐久：漢昭帝建昭三年（前36年）生。

• 姜亮夫、劉汝霖：漢昭帝陽朔二年（前23年）生，漢光武帝建武中元元年（56年）卒。

• 鮑格洛：漢元帝永光元年（前43年）生，漢光武帝建武四年（28年）卒。

• 曹道衡：陽朔二年（前23年）以前生。

• 臧知非：漢成帝永始元年（前16年）生，漢光武帝建武中元元年（56年）卒。

• 大久保隆郎：漢元帝永光四年（前40年）生，漢光武帝建武七年（31年）卒。

注釋